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Beached whale at Carlyon Bay 'too sick to save' | Beached whale at Carlyon Bay 'too sick to save' |
(39 minutes later) | |
A whale washed up on the beach in Cornwall will be put down after vets said it was too sick to be refloated. | A whale washed up on the beach in Cornwall will be put down after vets said it was too sick to be refloated. |
Rescuers were called to the scene in Carlyon Bay where the 65ft (20m) whale was reported stranded at 04:45 BST. | Rescuers were called to the scene in Carlyon Bay where the 65ft (20m) whale was reported stranded at 04:45 BST. |
Vets from the British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) said there was no hope of refloating the animal. | |
Fay Archell of the BDMLR said destroying the animal was an "incredibly difficult decision to take" but it was also in its best interests. | |
She said: "It is incredibly under nourished and has a very high breathing rate which suggests it is very sick and distressed." | |
The whale, stranded on an outgoing tide, was also injured around one eye and there were reports of a gash on its underside. | |
She said: "It would be wrong for us to put a sick animal back into the sea. We are frustrated about it but we cannot help it." | |
A crowd of about 300 people were at the scene which was cordoned off to prevent further distress to the whale. | |
Insp Dave Meredith, of Devon and Cornwall Police, tweeted: "Sadly the whale at Carlyon bay is too sick for recovery. It is going to be humanely destroyed. Very sad." | Insp Dave Meredith, of Devon and Cornwall Police, tweeted: "Sadly the whale at Carlyon bay is too sick for recovery. It is going to be humanely destroyed. Very sad." |
Coastguards said the animal was reported to them as thrashing about in the shallow water at the beach near St Austell. | Coastguards said the animal was reported to them as thrashing about in the shallow water at the beach near St Austell. |
Brixham Coastguard watch manager Paul Myers called it a "very distressing scene". | |
The fin whale, the second largest animal on the planet, is a globally endangered species. | The fin whale, the second largest animal on the planet, is a globally endangered species. |
The BDMLR is a voluntary network of trained experts who respond to calls by the public and emergency services when whales are stranded. | The BDMLR is a voluntary network of trained experts who respond to calls by the public and emergency services when whales are stranded. |