CONSERVATION, VETERINARY and marine experts were last night standing by as a pod of deep water pilot whales were swimming in shallow water just metres from the shoreline at Sandy Bay, near Castlegregory, on the north eastern side of the Dingle peninsula.
Kerry County Veterinary Officer Dr Paddy Fenton, who was at the beach along with up to 150 locals and tourists, said it was suspected a number of the group were ill.
There was an agreement yesterday to put down or “euthanise” the ill ones when they stranded in an attempt to save the others, Dr Fenton said.
Frantic efforts had been made on Wednesday by locals and by marine officer Kevin Flannery, an expert in marine species, to refloat the animals, weighing up to one tonne. The re-floating had appeared successful.
The 10 mammals, including one new born, had been shepherded out to sea from the shallow waters near Derrymore on Wednesday evening accompanied by the Fenit RNLI lifeboat and members of the Dingle Coast Guard unit. However, early yesterday reports came through that the group was back into shallow waters.
Officers from the National Parks and Wildlife Service were in the water at one stage yesterday attempting to keep the animals from stranding.
Mr Flannery, who was at the scene over the two days, warned the lead animal, possibly the bull whale, could well be ill and might need to be isolated. The others in the group of what were “extremely social animals” might be following the member who was ill, he felt.
Attempts were made last night to beach the whales at low water where hundreds of people had gathered at that stage. Local resident Eileen Wall, who helped float the mammals on Wednesday, said there was great anxiety as the attempts failed.