An arctic species of whale, normally seen in the waters off Greenland, Canada and Siberia has been recorded in Ireland for the first time, after a carcass was found washed up on a beach in Co Donegal.
The narwhal is a smaller whale known as 'the unicorn of the sea' because males grow one long, spiralled tusk. The body of a female narwhal washed up on a beach in Inishowen.
The initial discovery was made last weekend by a family walking along Sweet Nellies Beach on the Inishowen Peninsular who reported the sighting of a small, stranded two to three metre whale or dolphin to the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG).
Volunteers from the IWDG responded quickly and arrived at the scene to recover the carcass and collect skin samples.
The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) said the body was in poor condition and was that of a female narwhal. The species is normally seen in latitudes north of 60 degrees.
The word 'narwhal' comes from the Old Norse nárhval, meaning 'corpse-whale', which possibly refers to the animal's grey, mottled skin and its habit of remaining motionless when at the water's surface.
Minister for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity Christopher O'Sullivan thanked everyone involved in the discovery.
"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 underway 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," he said.
"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."
'A remarkable stranding', says Irish Whale and Dolphin Group
CEO of the IWDG Dr Simon Berrow described it as 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 or arctic ecosystems as the ice melts," Dr Berrow said.
"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."
Director General of the NPWS Niall Ó Donnchú, said: "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."
Mr Ó Donnchú said as the NPWS awaits results, it will continue to work closely with its 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," he added.
There are an estimated 170,000 living narwhals worldwide.
The population is threatened by the effects of climate change, such as reduction in ice cover and human activities such as pollution and hunting.
Narwhals have been hunted for thousands of years by Inuit communities in northern Canada and Greenland for meat and ivory, and regulated subsistence hunting continues to this day.
