Mysterious discovery of whale bones on Cork beach prompts questions

Mystery Whale Bones have appeared on Barleycove Beach over the weekend. Picture: Noel Sweeney

An elaborate end-of-summer stunt or the long-lost remains of an ancient ocean giant? 

The discovery of a near-intact whale skeleton has sparked a mystery on the Mizen peninsula.

A group of children came across the near 20-foot-long skeletal remains on the tidal channel which runs behind Barleycove beach near Goleen in West Cork on Saturday just hours after the region was lashed by Storm Betty.

The bones were found about 200m upstream and almost perfectly laid out.

Pádraig Whooley, the sightings officer with the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group, said it looked as if somebody has actually laid the bones out.

“Whales don’t die like that and when they die scavengers rip them apart and the bones end up all over the place," he said.

But Denis O’Kelly, who has holidayed in Barleycove for almost 20-years, said no one in their right mind would undertake such a stunt, particularly in that tidal area where access is difficult. 

A group of children came across the near 20-foot-long skeletal remains. Picture: Noel Sweeney

He said locals reckon the force of Storm Betty revealed the skeletal remains of a whale that most likely became stranded there and died many years ago. He and his dog, Bear, inspected the find on Sunday.

“I’ve been holidaying here over 20 years and I’ve come across dolphins and seals before, but never a whale,” he said.

"I couldn’t believe Bear's reaction. He was on high alert around these bones. He was spooked, his tail and his back were up. Whatever sense he got, he got a sense of something he didn’t like.” 

Local Fianna Fáil TD Christopher O’Sullivan, a wildlife enthusiast, said the layout of the bones "does raise questions" but he said it could also be genuine.

“However, I believe the state should have a policy, especially where rare whales strand or are washed up, that we should try to protect the bones for display or education purposes," he said.