Body of a massive whale washed up on a beach in Devon
Residents first spotted the enormous creature’s carcass at around 4pm on Wednesday at Hartland Quay, on the North Devon Heritage Coast.
A spokesman from Whale and Dolphin Conservation UK told Metro.co.uk that it looks like it could be a fin whale – the second largest animal on the planet, after the blue whale.
Photos show the whale’s incredible size as it lies spread across the rocks, washing further and further ashore.
It’s believed the whale has been dead for a long time, however, as its body is heavily decomposed.
‘As it is so decomposed, it must have died some time ago and washed onto the shore,’ he said.
‘Its death could have been caused by old age or disease, but whales and dolphins face many man-made threats too, such as collision with vessels, entanglement in fishing nets, pollution etc.
‘It’s sad to see such a large, yet majestic a creature in such a state.’
Fin whales are classed as endangered and they do live off the coast of the UK.
These incredible giants can grow up to 27m long, and weigh as much as 120tonnes.
Source: http://metro.co.uk/2017/03/09/massive-whale-washes-up-on-shore-of-devon-beach-6498821/
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