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Dead whale washes up on Kent beach Dead whale washes up on Kent beach
(about 2 hours later)
A dead whale has been found washed up on a beach in Kent.A dead whale has been found washed up on a beach in Kent.
The mammal, believed to be a 36ft-long (11 metre) minke whale, was discovered at Foreness Point, near Cliftonville, on Wednesday morning. The cetacean, believed to be a 36ft-long (11 metre) minke whale, was discovered at Foreness Point, near Cliftonville, on Wednesday morning.
Experts from the Natural History Museum in London plan to take samples from the dead creature, which has a police cordon around it. Experts from the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) plan to take samples from the dead creature, which has a police cordon around it.
Julia Cable, of the East Sussex-based British Divers Marine Life Rescue, said: “We have had a look at it to try to identify it. It looks like an 11-metre long adult minke whale, but it is difficult to say with certainty without seeing the underside of it.” “The animal has been floating off the Kent coast for a couple of days and shows signs of being hit by a ship,” said a spokesperson for the Natural History Museum, in London.
It is understood that it will be up to Kent county council to dispose of the carcass, once samples have been taken for testing by ZSL veterinarians.
Julia Cable, of the East Sussex-based British Divers Marine Life Rescue, said: “It looks like an 11-metre long adult minke whale, but it is difficult to say with certainty without seeing the underside of it.”
Minke whales have an estimated lifespan of up to 50 years, and are found from the tropics to the near-freezing waters of the northern hemisphere.Minke whales have an estimated lifespan of up to 50 years, and are found from the tropics to the near-freezing waters of the northern hemisphere.
Considered to be generally solitary mammals, minke whales can swim at up to 13mph. Their diet includes a variety of fish, including herring and whiting, as well as plankton.Considered to be generally solitary mammals, minke whales can swim at up to 13mph. Their diet includes a variety of fish, including herring and whiting, as well as plankton.