A 65ft female fin whale has died after becoming stranded on a beach in Cornwall, despite efforts to save it. The whale was discovered by walkers at Carlyon Bay near St Austell at around 5pm on Monday. Rescuers from the British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) assessed the animal and found it to be severely undernourished and injured, making refloating impossible.
The BDMLR initially considered euthanising the whale for humane reasons, but it died naturally before this could be carried out. Faye Archell of the BDMLR stated before the whale's death: 'It is incredibly undernourished and has a very high breathing rate, which suggests it is very sick and distressed. It would be wrong for us to put a sick animal back into the sea.'
The whale had sustained injuries to its head, gashes on its body, and damage around one eye. It was stranded on an outgoing tide. A BDMLR spokesman confirmed that the whale died without being put to sleep, but noted that the body could not be secured on the beach and may move with the tide. Efforts are being made to recover the carcass for a postmortem examination.
Around 300 people gathered at the scene as the rescue team attempted to help the whale. The coastguard and police cordoned off the beach to prevent further distress. Inspector Dave Meredith of Devon and Cornwall Police tweeted: 'The stranded whale has now passed away. Due to its injuries and poor condition there was no hope of rescue. A very sad incident for us all.'
The fin whale is the second largest animal ever to have lived, reaching up to 85 feet in length and weighing up to 74 tonnes. It is an endangered species that feeds on krill and small fish, typically found in small social groups.
