Tragic whale stranding at Mayo strand leaves experts and locals reeling

A distressing wildlife incident unfolded on the shores of north Mayo last Sunday evening, July 27, as a pair of True’s beaked whales, an elusive deep-diving species rarely seen close to land, stranded themselves at Kilcummin Back Strand, Lacken.

The mother and calf were observed by locals swimming rapidly into the shallows shortly before high tide.

Moments later, they beached themselves on the sand.

Despite efforts from bystanders and members of the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG), the adult female died shortly after stranding.

The calf managed to free itself and was last seen swimming back out to sea.

Tragically, a post-mortem examination led by Dr. Frank O’Sullivan of Dublin Zoo confirmed the mother was lactating, meaning the young whale, still dependent on her milk, has a slim chance of survival on its own.

True’s beaked whales typically dwell far offshore, diving to depths exceeding 800 metres in search of squid and other deep-sea species.

Their appearance in shallow coastal waters is highly unusual and often indicates a serious issue.

A spokesperson for the IWDG in a statement to the Connaught Telegraph noted that similar events were reported in Scotland and Netherlands of late.

The beachings were of three separate whale species, which would also inhabit beyond the continental shelf, indicating a "peculiar incident" has occurred deep at sea.

Whales beach themselves, possibly due to acoustic trauma caused by military sonar, earthquakes or deep-sea mining, however the exact cause or reason is still unknown.

The IWDG expressed its thanks to locals who swiftly reported the incident via its emergency hotline, and to the trained IWDG Live Stranding responders who were quick to act.

In a coordinated response on Monday, a post-mortem was carried out at the scene by Dr. O’Sullivan, assisted by veterinary students Luke Mase and Noah McNaughton.

Due to the rising tide, the whale’s head was removed and transported to University College Dublin for further analysis.

These examinations may shed light on the animal’s health, cause of death, and whether environmental factors played a role.