A rare dead whale washed up on a beach popular with Brit staycationers.
Walkers originally reported it as a dolphin.
But experts later revealed it was a Sowerby’s Beaked whale.
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The mammals are an incredibly rare species and feed on squid and deep sea fish.
It spends its entire life in the deep open ocean and is known to dive hundreds of metres below the surface to hunt.
There are thought to be less than 500 of them left.
A full investigation into the whale’s death has been launched after members of the Hunstanton Coastguard Rescue Team were called to the scene.
Officers responded to the report made on Old Hunstanton Beach, Norfolk, on Wednesday (6 Aug), as reported by Need To Know.
Upon arrival, the team called the British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) to help identify the animal.
A spokesperson for the Hunstanton Coastguard said: “Team tasked to a possible whale or dolphin washed ashore.
“On arrival, it was clear from the size that this was not a dolphin.
“Bystanders reported that they had tried to help the mammal back into the sea.
“Having requested en route the attendance of British Divers Marine Life Rescue, we were soon joined by three of their members.
“They quickly ascertained that the whale was in fact dead and identified it as a Sowerby’s Beaked whale; a rare species for this area.
“Together we examined the whale, looking in particular for any injuries that might establish the cause of death.
“The whale was also measured and all relevant data was subsequently used to complete the Fishes Royal form.
“As darkness fell, the examination was called off, being unsafe to continue.
“BDMLR returned the following day to continue their examination.
“Upon return to the station, all kit was thoroughly cleaned due to the possible presence of marine bacteria and bodily fluids.”
A spokesperson for the BDMLR said: “This week, a female Sowerby’s beaked whale – a rarely seen, deep-diving ocean species – was discovered stranded on the mud of a Norfolk beach.
“Very little is known about them, which is why every stranding matters.
“Pending necessary permissions, Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme may be able to carry out a necropsy to better understand this individual’s life and cause of death.
“These types of strandings are rare, but serve as a reminder of the hidden lives in our oceans.”
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