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True’s Beaked <strong>Whale</strong> (Mesoplodon mirus)<br />
Míol Mór Socach Breá<br />
Little is known about the distribution or behaviour of True’s<br />
beaked whales off the <strong>Irish</strong> coast as they have never been<br />
observed alive in <strong>Irish</strong> waters. Between 1899 <strong>and</strong> 2009, ten<br />
str<strong>and</strong>ing records have been documented, all of which have<br />
been of single animals. Only one live str<strong>and</strong>ing has been<br />
recorded which was in Owenahincha, Co Cork, in 1997. The<br />
only other str<strong>and</strong>ing record received for this species since<br />
1997 was of a badly decomposed male found at Str<strong>and</strong>hill,<br />
Co Sligo, on 20 March 2009. Str<strong>and</strong>ings do not appear to be<br />
seasonal, with records in January (1), February (1), March (1),<br />
April (1), June (2), July (1), October (1) <strong>and</strong> November (1) with<br />
one record undated.<br />
Figure 46. All str<strong>and</strong>ing records up to 2009.<br />
True’s beaked whale, Str<strong>and</strong>hill, Co Sligo, March 2009.<br />
Photograph © Don Cotton.<br />
Gervais’ Beaked <strong>Whale</strong><br />
(Mesoplodon europaeus)<br />
Míol Mór Socach an tSrutha<br />
Gervais’ beaked whales are rare in <strong>Irish</strong> waters <strong>and</strong> very little<br />
is known about their ecology or distribution. Only one<br />
str<strong>and</strong>ing record has been received for this species, a 4.08m<br />
male which str<strong>and</strong>ed in Ballysadare Bay, Co Sligo, on 22<br />
January 1989.<br />
Figure 47. All str<strong>and</strong>ing records up to 2009.<br />
<strong>Irish</strong> Cetacean Review 2000-2009<br />
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