Hopes fade for stranded fin whale

A whale has become stranded in shallow water off the coast of Larne

A whale stranded for two days in Larne Lough has moved into shallower waters and there are fears it will beach.

The young fin whale, swimming at the County Antrim lough, is said to be exhausted and has an infection.

A 300m exclusion zone has been imposed around the whale and it is an offence for any vessel to stray into the area.

Vets are on standby in case the animal beaches on Thursday. It is thought to be about 12m in length and may weigh upwards of 15 tonnes.

BBC Northern Ireland rural affairs editor Martin Cassidy said prospects looked very bleak for the whale.

"Hopes really are now fading for this whale. The risk now is that the animal, ill and exhausted, may beach this afternoon," he said.

"At that point, the rescue team will have to decide if it is safe to go in and euthanize the whale rather than let it have a painful death on the sands under the hot sun."

A rescue boat got the whale out to open sea on Wednesday, but it returned confused and disorientated when two ferries left the harbour.

No realistic human intervention is possible when dealing with animals of this size, in these situations Irish Whale and Dolphin Group

Police have asked owners of any type of vessel planning to launch at Ballylumford beach to stay on shore and not to sail.

The Irish Whale and Dolphin Group - which has been trying to guide the whale back out to sea - said every effort had been made to prevent it from stranding on mudflats and to coax it out to open water.

But on Thursday morning, they said they believed the whale should be "left to its own devices in the lough, without intervention".

Originally thought to be a minke whale, the group has said it is "most likely a fin whale" , the second largest mammal on the planet.

The group's website said: "This is the first record of a fin whale in Northern Irish waters since one stranded in Magilligan, County Derry, almost 100 years ago in 1907.

The white mark on the fin helped identify the species

"They are the second largest animal on the planet, second only to the blue whale.

"Although this specimen is almost certainly a juvenile, our best estimates are that it is 35-40ft or 12m length and may weigh upwards of 15 tonnes.

"No realistic human intervention is possible when dealing with animals of this size, in these situations."

The animal has been swimming in tight circles, which experts say is a sign of confusion.

Scientists believe the current heatwave may be contributing to unusually large numbers of whales and dolphins off the UK coastline.