Watch: 20 whales spotted heading along the Waterford Estuary

A pod containing around 20 pilot whales has been spotted heading up along the Waterford Estuary.

The whales appear to be swimming inland and distressed and were first seen by a drone flown by Ballyhack man Damien Quinn.

The footage has been shared by the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group, who have been informed of a group of long-finned pilot whales in the approaches to the Waterford Estuary.

"The group of around 20 individuals are in a very tight formation and behaving in a manner suggesting they are stressed. The second largest of our oceanic dolphins, pilot whales are generally found in deeper waters off the continental shelf edge (around 1,000m), and sightings under these circumstances are often associated with mass live-stranding events."

IWDG have, through the MRCC (Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre) in Dublin, officially requested the assistance of the local RNLI in Dunmore East to try and encourage them back into deeper offshore water.

"As light was fading in the evening, it may be a matter of waiting to see what if anything can be done to assist them in the morning should they live strand overnight. It'll be a very good outcome if the coast is clear tomorrow", said the group.

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