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Beached 35ft whale dies on Redcar beach Beached 44ft whale dies on Redcar beach
(40 minutes later)
A 35ft (10.6m) long whale has died three hours after becoming stranded on a beach on Teesside. A 44ft (13m) long whale has died three hours after becoming stranded on a beach on Teesside.
Police alerted the RNLI after spotting the 20 tonne, stricken mammal on Redcar Beach, just after 0620 BST. Police alerted the RNLI after spotting the 20 tonne stricken mammal on Redcar Beach, just after 0620 BST.
Officers from the RSPCA joined the rescue bid and tried to keep the whale wet in the hope it would be taken out by the high tide at about 1500 BST. A rescue bid started which involved trying to keep the adult sperm whale wet until high tide but it died.
But despite the efforts, the mammal, believed to be a sperm whale, did not survive. Richard Ilderton, of British Divers Marine Life Rescue, said the North Sea was not a suitable environment for such a large creature.
Officers from the Coastguard and Cleveland Fire Brigade also tried to help while RSPCA vets assessed the mammal's condition. RSPCA officers were involved in the rescue attempt, along with those from the Coastguard and Cleveland Fire Brigade, while RSPCA vets assessed the mammal's condition.
An RNLI spokesman said: "We have just received notification that unfortunately it has just died in the last few minutes. An RNLI spokesman said: "We don't know the reasons but usually when they get to this situation the conclusion is that they don't survive.
"We don't know the reasons but usually when they get to this situation the conclusion is that they don't survive.
"A post mortem will be carried out on the whale and then it will be up to the local council to dispose of it.""A post mortem will be carried out on the whale and then it will be up to the local council to dispose of it."
'Becomes malnourished'
Crowds went to the beach to see the whale.
Redcar and Cleveland Council said cordons had been put up around the whale, which is due to remain on the beach overnight, watched by security guards.
Mr Ilderton said: "While we have whales in the North Sea, it is not a suitable environment for a sperm whale because the food supply is not there.
"It doesn't eat, it becomes malnourished, it becomes dehydrated because whales do not drink - they get their liquid from their food.
"It can cause all sorts of health problems and ultimately results in something like this happening."
He said the whale's death might actually have been the best outcome.
"If we were able to put the animal back out to sea, all we would be doing is putting it back out to starve, which is massively cruel and against what we want to do," he said.