The Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG) is assessing the condition of a dolphin which swam upriver into the centre of Cork city earlier today.
Earlier, hundreds of commuters gathered to watch the Risso’s dolphin in the River Lee at Fr Matthew Quay.
Mr Padraig Whooley of the IWDG said the young dolphin appeared to be in poor health. It measures between 6 and 7 feet.
He said it was unusual to find a Risso’s dolphin this far inshore as they are generally found in deep water offshore. "If it’s not healthy, you run the risk of putting it under further stress by forcing it back out to sea. We are basically playing a waiting game."
Last year three Orca whales spent several weeks in the River Lee, while in 1998 eight common dolphins swam into the city centre.
Mr Whooley says the increasing incidences of whales and dolphins inshore might show they were moving closer to shore to locate prey, as stocks further out to sea might be depleted.