Over 30 whales have died in a mass stranding off the coast of County Donegal.
The group of 33 long-finned pilot whales (Globicephala melas) was found on Rutland Island, between Burtonport and Arranmore Island, at the weekend. The beaching has been described as one of the biggest mass deaths of whales in Irish history.
It's thought they were the same pod spotted in South Uist in the Scottish Outer Hebrides at the end of October. A spokesman from the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG) said the pod spotted there appeared to have been in some difficulty and it was thought that they might beach, but they later moved further away from the area.
There are concerns from campaigners that Royal Navy sonar equipment could have disturbed the navigational skills of the whales, leading them to beach. The Royal Navy had been in the area when the group of whales were spotted swimming in the Outer Hebrides. However, a spokesperson from the Royal Navy told BBC News that the closest navy ship had been 50 miles away – too far to have affected the whales.
Some of the whales had significant marks in their dorsal fins, and it's thought that these might help to determine whether it was the same pod seen in South Uist.
Scientists have taken skin and tissue samples, to try and find out what had led to the mass deaths.
Despite its name, the Long-finned pilot whale is actually a member of the oceanic dolphin family (Delphinidae). They have strong family ties, and when one member of the pod strands, the rest tend to follow, leading in mass strandings such as this. Females live in the pod they are born in for the whole of their lives. These mammals can live for more than 50 years, and are a deep-diving species, capable of reaching depths of up to 600m. Adult males measure more than 6m in length and weigh up to three tons.