![A beached [fin] whale has died despite desperate efforts to refloat it. Rescuers were called to Carlyon Bay near St Austell in Cornwall by walkers at around 5pm on Monday after they spotted the 65ft female fin whale stranded on the beach. But vets from the British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) said there was no hope of refloating the injured animal, which was “incredibly undernourished”.
The BDMLR said the difficult decision had been made to put down the animal for humane reasons, but the whale died naturally and this was not necessary….
A BDMLR spokesman added: “In the end, the whale died without being put to sleep but it was not possible for the body to be secured to anything on the beach, so it may move with the tide.
“It is hoped that it can be recovered for postmortem and the public have been reminded that it is an offence to take any part of a whale without the appropriate licence.” …
The fin whale is the second largest animal ever to have lived and can grow to 75-85 feet (22-26 metres), weigh up to 74 tonnes and live for up to 90 years.
An endangered species, it feeds on krill, small schooling fish and squid and is often found in social groups of two to seven animals.
(via Stranded whale dies on beach in Cornwall | Environment | guardian.co.uk)](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m8r910naCo1qzul89o1_500.jpg)
A beached [fin] whale has died despite desperate efforts to refloat it. Rescuers were called to Carlyon Bay near St Austell in Cornwall by walkers at around 5pm on Monday after they spotted the 65ft female fin whale stranded on the beach. But vets from the British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) said there was no hope of refloating the injured animal, which was “incredibly undernourished”.
The BDMLR said the difficult decision had been made to put down the animal for humane reasons, but the whale died naturally and this was not necessary….
A BDMLR spokesman added: “In the end, the whale died without being put to sleep but it was not possible for the body to be secured to anything on the beach, so it may move with the tide.
“It is hoped that it can be recovered for postmortem and the public have been reminded that it is an offence to take any part of a whale without the appropriate licence.” …
The fin whale is the second largest animal ever to have lived and can grow to 75-85 feet (22-26 metres), weigh up to 74 tonnes and live for up to 90 years.
An endangered species, it feeds on krill, small schooling fish and squid and is often found in social groups of two to seven animals.
(via Stranded whale dies on beach in Cornwall | Environment | guardian.co.uk)
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