The young long-finned pilot whale was found stuck in the swell of the sea during low tide at Llangennith Beach in the Gower on Monday, September 1
A rare whale was discovered washed ashore on a Welsh beach. The juvenile long-finned pilot whale was found trapped in the ocean’s swell during low tide at Llangennith Beach in the Gower on Monday, September 1.
The whale was spotted around mid-afternoon and both the Coastguard and Marine Life Rescue were alerted for help. They subsequently determined the whale had been a female and was under 12 months old.
Despite locals frantically attempting to rescue the creature, it tragically perished on the beach. Mark Button, a local Coastguard volunteer, said: “We got paged to say that people had found a whale on the beach and we went to investigate.”
“Three or four people noticed it in the swell and the tide was dropping back. Apparently four people tried to keep it alive by splashing water over it but sadly it passed before we got there.”
Mark said he’d never witnessed or heard of a long-finned pilot whale being sighted in the region before.
He explained there are frequently dolphins and basking sharks around the Gower but never typically anything like this.
Having been retrieved by the British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR), the whale will now undergo a post mortem examination.
Long-finned pilot whales are usually found in the North Atlantic Ocean. Adults measure between 7.6m and 6m in length and they can reach up to 4,500kg in weight.
These magnificent creatures are known for being highly social and possessing a curious disposition. They typically remain in pods consisting mainly of mothers and their young and show remarkable loyalty to each other.
Mark cautioned that due to this behaviour, locals and visitors should watch out for additional whales that might attempt to approach the shoreline trying to save the deceased animal.
A spokesperson from the British Divers Marine Life Rescue said: “We received a call regarding a whale stranding at Rhossili and dispatched BDMLR Marine Mammal Medics to the scene.
“Reports indicated that members of the public had attempted to refloat the animal back into the sea; however, further information confirmed that the whale had sadly died.
“As a result, BDMLR Medics were stood down, and our Area Coordinator attended alongside Marine Environmental Monitoring to secure the carcass for a post mortem examination. The whale was identified as a juvenile pilot whale.”
Anyone discovering a marine animal in distress is advised to contact the cetacean rescue team on 01825 765546.
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