Arctic whale never recorded before in Ireland washes up on Donegal beach

A dead narwhal has washed up on the shores of Co Donegal, marking the first time the whale species has been recorded in Ireland.

The narwhal is found exclusively in the Arctic waters of the north Atlantic, and its males are famous for their long tusks, leading to them being dubbed the “unicorns” of the sea.

A family walking along Sweet Nellies Beach on the Inishowen Peninsula in Co Donegal first reported the sighting of a small, stranded 2-3m whale or dolphin to the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG).

The body of the female narwhal was retrieved by the group last weekend, working with regional staff from the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS).

Skin samples were collected and the carcass was taken to the Regional Laboratory in Cork for a post-mortem examination and tests.

The chief executive of the IWDG, Dr Simon Berrow, said it was a “remarkable” stranding.

“As our waters warm we have seen a northern movement of whales and dolphins in Irish waters as fish move north seeking cooler waters.

“To have an Arctic species stranded for the first time is somewhat unexpected.

“However we recorded another Arctic species, a bowhead whale, in Ireland for the first time in 2016 so maybe this reflects a breaking down of Arctic ecosystems as the ice melts.

“Clearly one stranding cannot display any trends but it does show the importance of our long-term monitoring schemes and the power of citizen scientists sending these reports to the IWDG.”

Niall O Donnchu, director general of the NPWS, said it was an “an extraordinary and unprecedented” event.

“We can confirm that a female narwhal, a species never before recorded in Ireland, was discovered in Co Donegal last weekend and has since been retrieved for scientific examination.

“I want to acknowledge the swift actions of the family who reported the stranding, as well as the rapid and professional response by the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group and our NPWS regional colleagues.

“As we await the results, NPWS will continue to work closely with our partners to monitor Ireland’s marine environment and to better understand the impacts of climate and ecological change on vulnerable species.

“Each event like this reminds us of the importance of sustained scientific vigilance and public awareness in protecting our natural world.”

Narwhals are rarely recorded outside the Arctic and the last stranding record in western Europe was in 2016, when a young male washed up dead in Belgium.

Prior to that, two females were found stranded in the Thames Estuary in Kent, England, in 1949.

The only sightings are of two off Orkney and one off Aberdeenshire in Scotland in 1882 and one in the Hebrides in 1976.

It is the 10th stranding record of a narwhal in western Europe and only the fourth female.

Junior minister with responsibility for nature and biodiversity Christopher O’Sullivan said it was a “stark reminder” of the vulnerability of wildlife.

“I’d like to thank everyone who was involved in retrieving the stranded narwhal for their rapid response and collaboration, from the young people who initially spotted it on the beach and raised the alert, to the dedicated teams in the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group, the Regional Veterinary Laboratory in Cork and the National Parks and Wildlife Service of my own Department.

“This is a significant event and it is important that we try to find out more about why this species arrived on our coastline.

“An examination is under way which I hope will reveal important details about its life and history, and shed some light on the reasons why it arrived on our shores.

“The narwhal is an Arctic species that is mainly found in cooler waters. Findings like this are a stark reminder of the vulnerability of wildlife in the face of a changing climate, and the need to protect them.”