Dead whale removed from Thanet coastline

A dead whale has been safely removed from the Thanet coastline by the council, after its body was washed ashore.

The whale, described by Marine Life Rescue and Coastguard representatives at the scene as a young adult Norwegian minke, was around eight metres long and weighed about eight tonnes.

Police were first called to the scene at Epple Bay in Birchington at around 8.40am this morning (Friday 30 December). The council is responsible for disposing of the whale and it has now been removed from the beach. A post mortem examination is due to be carried out on the whale by the Zoological Society to determine how it died tomorrow (Saturday 31 December).

The whale was considerably smaller than the sperm whale that was washed ashore at Pegwell Bay in March 2011.