A 10-metre sperm whale that beached itself off Co Sligo, Ireland on September 12 has died. Tests carried out by members of the Civil Defence in consultation with a veterinary doctor showed signs of significant emaciation, indicating it could have been dying for some weeks.

Sligo County Council had established an exclusion area around the animal, warning members of the public who attempted to swim out to the whale that they were putting their lives at risk. Little could be done to save the mammal because of its size as once whales run ashore they lose the protection of heat-absorbing water and can bake in their own blubber. If they are sick or stressed, the precise cause of death can be difficult to determine.

The whale was initially spotted offshore and was moving into Ballisodare Bay but seemed to have got caught on a sandbank between Culleenamore and Strandhill beaches when the tide turned. Sperm whales, who have the largest brains on earth, are also known for their large tail flukes.

image:Dr Bruce Watkins