CORK County Council has yet to decide what to do with the remains of a 17.5m fin whale that is rotting on Trá ná Shárrách at the base of the hill leading to Brow Hill near Mizen Head, writes Jackie Keogh.
The area has always been a popular destination for locals and regular visitors to ‘Crook,’ but the arrival of a 300-strong Star Wars cast in 2016 put it on the map.
The carcass of the 55ft whale clearly bears the marks of a shark attack. People have been turning up in droves to view it, and some have even taken away bits of the whale as souvenirs despite the horrendous smell.
Cork County Council said options for the removal of the whale are being explored.
The local authority has erected signs at Trá ná Shárrách advising that the beach is ‘closed’ because any dead animal represents a health risk.
The Irish Whale and Dolphin’s (IWDG) sighting officer Pádraig Whooley noted that the 17.5m carcass is missing bits so, in life, it was probably larger.
And, in an interview on Newstalk, Pádraig said its disposal will be ‘a whale of a problem’ for the local authority.
Cork County Council’s options include digging a massive hole above the high-water mark and burying it, or breaking it up into ‘bite size’ 10m chunks for disposal at an industrial incinerator.
Local man Liam Wilcox, who has been monitoring the situation daily, told The Southern Star that the whale seems to be deflating, partly due to decomposition, partly due to souvenir hunters taking bits.
He believes access to the part-rocky part-sandy beach could be problematic for a disposal crew.
And, as for burying it above the high-water mark, he said the large boulders could present a problem.
Liam also surmised that the local authority might let nature take its course and let the remains be taken by the tide.
