A Fin Whale, the second largest animal to have ever lived on Earth was seen in Cork on Saturday. The mammal is only second in size to the Blue Whale which can reach 110 feet long.
The footage, captured by Into the Wild Ireland photographer Dan Lettice, shows the giant surrounded by dolphins which are said to be roughly more than 6 feet long in the area.
The whale which was seen South of Toe Head in Cork was upwards of 70 feet long, according to Lettice.
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The giant mammals eat krill, sprat and herring and can reach lengths of 65 to 85 feet and can weigh up to 80 tonnes. Fin Whales are an endangered species, with an estimated 50,000-90,000 in the wild.
The Irish Whale and Dolphin group said that some individual Fin Whales are known to revisit Irish waters.
“To date over 60 individual fin whales have been photo identified in Irish waters, mostly along the South coast. Some individuals have been re-sighted inter-annually but several have been recorded over a decade like the individual known as “Scar” (FWIRL2) who has appeared on numerous occasions from Cork to Waterford since 2005,” they said.
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