The 12-metre long fin whale carcass had been floating off the coast before it was washed in on the tide and got stuck around a groyne near Clacton, eastern England. As fin whales are the second largest animal on earth growing up to 21 metres, this one was assumed to have been a juvenile.
Shortly after the report early in the morning, the police, staff from British Divers Marine Life Rescue and the District Council came together to manage the scene. While the beach and its surrounding parts were closed off, officers warned curious onlookers to stay away from the animal “as there is a risk of contracting an infection from contact with bodily fluids or the body itself”. This allowed the BDMLR team to gather photographs and other samples that could be passed on to the Zoological Society of London’s Cetacean Stranding Investigation Programme to help inform future areas of research.
Removal of the carcass will be the responsibility of the beach owner.
The full article can be found here: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-essex-52847529
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