A humpback whale has been spotted entangled in Donegal Bay.
The whale was recently filmed trailing rope behind it which appeared to have been entangled around its tail fluke for some time.
The Irish Whale and Dolphin Group says while the entanglement must have been having a negative impact on the whale, its body condition wasn’t concerning.
They say it is not possible to restrict the whale, which is unknown to them to cut off the rope as it is currently too mobile.
However, they group says they will try and monitor its progress to see if it frees itself of the rope or whether they can intervene to help the whale.
The IWDG says entanglement by humpback whales is an emerging issue in some parts of the world which they have highlighted and recently worked with IMBRSea student at the Atlantic Technological University, Julie Fichefet who carried out a risk assessment of entanglement in pot ropes in Irish waters.
