The Irish Whale and Dolphin Group has said there have been no further sightings of a pod of long-finned pilot whales off the Co Wexford coast following an initial search this morning.
Drone footage captured yesterday showed a group of 20 animals in the approaches to the Waterford Estuary near Arthurstown.
In a Facebook post last night, the IWDG noted that the whales were "in a very tight formation and behaving in a manner suggesting they are stressed".
Pilot whales are about 4-6 metres long, weigh up to three tonnes, and are generally found in deeper waters.
The IWDG said sightings under these circumstances are often associated with mass live-stranding events.
However, in a further Facebook post this morning, it said an initial search of the area between Dunmore East and Duncannon had produced no further sightings.
The IWDG has appealed to members of the public and local agencies to keep a close eye on the Wexford coast, pointing out that the most critical time for intervention is before pilot whales live-strand.
"Fingers crossed all went out to sea and stayed on course towards their habitat," said the IWDG's Live Strandings Network Coordinator Gemma O'Connor.
