A Dingle boat tour operator has issued a heartbreaking update on the ongoing search for Fungie as fears grow about the dolphin's whereabouts.
Searches have taken place by concerned boatmen over the last couple of days after there was no sighting of the iconic dolphin
And sadly searches carried out by a number of vessels were called off on Sunday evening after Fungie was nowhere to be found.
An update issued by Jimmy Flannery who runs Dingle Sea Safari read: "After an extensive search today joined by Mallow Search and Rescue Divers, Dingle coast and cliff and Dingle Dolphin Tour boats along with other vessels, unfortunately we have no news of Fungies whereabouts.
"At this stage we are calling off the search in the hopes that Fungie has just gone off on an adventure and if he so chooses will one day return to us.
"We can't thank Mallow Search and Rescue enough for trying to locate our dear friend and as they say no news is good news.
"Wherever you are my friend I hope you are safe and happy thank you for all the years of joy you have brought to so many peoeple"
Jimmy who has known Fungie the dolphin for 37 years, insisted the bottlenose is 'priceless' to the local area in terms of his importance and value.
He added: "He's priceless, there's no doubt about it."
"Because everything spins off it.
"You have the restaurants, you have the bars, you have the holiday homes and the boats would probably be the smallest part of it."An entire industry has grown around the animal in the tourist town of West Kerry since Fungi arrived 37 years ago.
"Fungie will be a massive loss to the whole community."He'll be mourned massively; he's a mascot, he's our sentinel [a guard] at the entrance of the harbour, he's our pride and joy.
"Speaking to the people at home and speaking to my own son who grew up with him there's an awful air of gloom in the [Dingle] Peninsula to think if we have lost our friend.
"You see the thing is, this was probably the best case scenario, believe it or not."I mean, I'm 33 years taking people out to see him and I'd always said the best case scenario is that he disappears.
"[The] worst case is that we see him either die or we'd see him dying; we'd see him getting sick and we wouldn't be able to help him.."
