Glencolmcille whale - plans in place to remove the whale from An Tra Mhór

The 13.5 metre sperm whale which washed ashore at An Tra Mhór in Glencolmcille has been attracting much attention, but it is unlikely that its cause of death will determined

People are travelling from far and wide to see this magnificent creature for themselves, and experts are warning people not to touch the remains as they could harbour diseases.

The sperm whale was already in a state of decay when it washed ashore. 

A spokesperson for the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group issued a short statement saying: “Measurements, images and samples have been collected but no cause of death is possible due to its poor condition.”

Strandings Officer Stephanie Levesque told Donegal Live: “There isn’t really much that we can add. 

“It is impossible to determine the exact age but from the size we can safely assume it is an immature male.”

While there is huge interest in this sperm whale, it is not as rare a sight as initially thought.

“Around one to four sperm whales are washed ashore in Ireland each year and reported to the IWDG,” the spokesperson said. 

However, most do not wash ashore in such an accessible location, allowing for easy viewing.

A spokesperson for Donegal County Council confirmed to Donegal Live that a contractor has been engaged to carry out proper disposal of the remains. 

“We are looking at getting it removed as soon as possible,” the spokesperson. 

“It is with a contractor who will carry out the process in the correct manner. 

“We expect this to be completed on Wednesday, certainly by Thursday at the latest.”

According to the US National Oceanic And Atmospheric Administration, sperm whales are the largest of the toothed whales and have one of the widest global distributions of any marine mammal species. 

They are found in all deep oceans, from the equator to the edge of the pack ice in the Arctic and Antarctic. 

Sperm whales are named after the waxy substance called spermaceti which is found in their heads.

The Irish Whale and Dolphin Group encourages people to report all strandings and sightings via their website www.iwdg.ie

The organisation also runs training sessions for best practice in the case of live strandings, as well as carrying out research and advocacy work.