Surfers discovered the washed up whale on Fistral beach at Newquay, Cornwall.
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Marine experts warned the whale – possibly a victim of Storm Debi – could become ‘toxic’ as it gradually decays and might pass on deadly germs to anyone getting too close.
There’s speculation that the gentle giant of the deep succumbed to the battering it would have taken as Storm Debi’s 70mph winds whipped up cauldron-like seas.
The 54ft long Fin Whale, the second largest species of whale on the planet, was reportedly spotted behaving strangely in the waters around Fistral beach at Newquay, Cornwall, yesterday.
People are being warned to steer clear of the site as micro-organisms will still be living on the dead whale and its blood can be toxic.
On its social media page, Newquay Activity Centre said “A very sad sight this morning during our daily dawn conditions check. A deceased whale at south Fistral.
“The beautiful beast is confirmed as a Fin Whale. It’s 16 metres long. It was spotted off the Cribbar yesterday behaving strangely.
“Advice to the public is to stay over 20ft away (a cordon is being put in place).
“There are organisms still living on the now-deceased whale which it’s important to keep distance from and the blood can be toxic.
“A decision will be made concerning if the tide will naturally move the body or other measures will be required. Very sad scenes.”
Local MP Steve Double said “A sad sight this morning at Newquay, please stay away from this area for the health and safety reasons.”
Marine data officer Anthea Hawtrey-Collier, from Cornwall Wildlife Trust, said the animal appears to be very undernourished and so was probably “very unwell”.
She said: “Until we do a full post-mortem, which the Cornwall marine pathology team will be undertaking, we cannot speculate what has caused the illness and why this animal might be dead.”
She added: “It’s a beautiful animal and it’s a very awful sight for people to see but it’s also an incredibly educational sight.
“Part of the Marine Strandings Network is the value of looking at dead animals is that we can get information and understanding that we cannot gain when they’re alive in the wild.”