Holidaymakers in Co Cork have been enjoying one of nature's greatest spectacles - breaching whales a little more than a stone's throw from the shore.
For the past two days, three Northern bottlenose whales have been sighted in an inlet in the Ballylickey area of Bantry Bay.
Onlookers have been able to watch their movements from the shore near the Eagle Point Campsite.
"It has been an amazing spectacle. We have seen them breach several times, landing with an enormous splash," said Clodagh Ní Mhaoilchiarain.
A large beaked whale with a bulbous forehead, the Northern bottlenosewhale measures 6-10 metres in length.
"It is phenomenal to watch them torpedoing in and out of the water, just 100 yards away," said Pádraig Whooley, Sightings Officer for the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG).
Mr Whooley said the species is occasionally observed offshore along the continental shelf where there are deep canyon systems.
He said it was a mystery why the animals were currently so close to shore.
He added that the IWDG was monitoring their movements closely.
"Northern bottlenose whales are one of the deep diving beaked whales. So our concern is that even the deep waters of Bantry Bay can provide neither suitable habitat or food for these animals.
"We are also mindful that another Northern bottlenose whale live stranded and died yesterday in Rustington, West Sussex, UK and it's possible that these events are somehow connected.
"Our hope for now is that all three whales make it out into open water and the Atlantic's deep canyon systems that are their preferred habitat.
"We're left wondering whether this saga is going to be like the last such incident back in 2005 when between 14-19 August a solitary Northern bottlenose whale spent five days in an inlet in Bantry Bay, before returning to open water, apparently none the worse for the experience.
"The similarity of these two events in terms of timing and location is quite remarkable. It's almost to the day, 18 years ago and both within Bantry Bay. We can only hope this story ends as well."
