A 40ft fin whale has tried to beach and is stuck against a pier wall in west Cork.
The creature came in to the harbour in Baltimore on a low tide and initially moved 328-437 yards (300m-400m) off shore before coming back to the small port.
The Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG) said from the description it is a young fin whale and maybe sick or starving.
Brendan Cottrell, assistant coxswain on the Baltimore lifeboat and owner of the Cape Clear ferry, said they were doing their best not to panic the creature further.
"We've been told to keep all the boats back and try not to stress the animal," he said.
"It looks as though he's stuck by the pier wall and there's a crowd of about 200 or 300 looking on. We've had dead whales on the beaches before but never a live one in this spot."
Fin whales are the second-largest species of whale and can grow up to 85ft.
Continued: http://www.eveningecho.ie/2012/08/14/whale-gets-stuck-against-cork-pier-wall/
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