Kerry County Council considered leaving whale carcass on beach to 'let nature take its course'
The fin whale washed up on Boolakeel Strand in July. Picture: Valerie O'Sullivan
A local authority thought it would have to leave the giant carcass of a beached whale to naturally decompose after options for its removal hit a series of roadblocks.
Kerry County Council was warned it might have to fence off the remains of the fin whale because of concerns over public health after it was washed ashore during the summer.
In internal discussions, the council said it had three options for what to do with the carcass based on discussions with a whale welfare group.
The easiest option was considered burial on site. However, that required sand with a depth of between 4m and 5m.
A briefing note said: “This depth of sand is not available at the site and it is likely that rock will be encountered at relatively shallow depths.
“Furthermore, access is not available to get the required heavy excavators to site.”
Kerry County Council was also warned the land around Boolakeel Strand was “exceptionally wet” and the only way to access it was via a very steep road down a narrow private road.
Towing out to sea was the second option but officials did not believe it would be viable or safe to get a boat close enough to shore for the operation.
Another option looked at was incineration of the remains, which would require removal of the carcass before bringing it to a specialised facility in either Cavan or Waterford.
However, this too was ruled out because of difficulties of access for a vehicle capable of carrying what was estimated to be “fifty tonnes of whale carcass”.
An official said the best option seemed to be to leave the whale as it was and “let nature take its course”.
A briefing said: “It is not feasible to carry out any of the above options and the only legitimate possibility is to leave the remains on site.
In discussions with the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG), Kerry County Council was advised that whatever option was taken needed to be explained properly to the public and why it was being done.
The IWDG also flagged risk where a whale had been euthanised via chemical agents and said the remains should not in those circumstances be towed to sea or left to decompose.
An information note said: “[This] may release harmful toxins into the environment as well as pose a public health risk.”
Kerry County Council said it was subsequently able to come up with a plan for the burial of the fin whale on a site near Ballinskelligs.
A spokesman said: “Because of the large size of the carcass and the relatively inaccessible location, there was widespread consultation with experts as well as the landowner to identify a suitable solution.
“There was agreement that burying the remains on site was the best option from a safety and logistical perspective.”
