Body of fin whale buried at West Cork beach

Cork County Council has confirmed that the body of a recently beached whale has been buried on-site in West Cork.

Earlier this month, the body of a fin whale was discovered at Lackenakea Bay Beach near Barleycove.

It is understood that the whale died prior to beaching, having already shown signs of decomposition at the time of its discovery on the beach.

A spokesperson for the local authority told The Echo that the mammal, measuring about 12m in length, was buried last Thursday above the water-mark in-situ.

“It was always challenging dealing with issues such as carcasses washed up on beaches,” said the county council spokesperson.

“There are multiple things to be considered.

“In this instance, the burial of the remains of the whale at a suitable location was deemed the most effective, as the carcass was already in a state of decomposition,” they said.