Stinking 31ft dead whale hauled onto lorry as stench of rot reaches …
A stinking 31ft whale[1] carcass washed up on a UK beach on Thursday (April 20) and had to be hauled onto a lorry when locals complained about the stench.
The beastly female minke whale had been spotted in North Berwick, Scotland[2], on Wednesday (April 19) before washing up dead at West Bay Beach.
People living several streets away from the carcass said they could smell the foul pong.
It was so rank that workers were called in this morning (Friday, April 21) to move the nine-tonne whale. They spent three hours using lifting equipment and diggers to haul it onto a lorry.
Workers were called in this morning (Friday, April 21) (Image: PA)
Locals were told not to go near it and to keep dogs away. The risk of disease-carrying bacteria remains high even now that it has been moved, with the area still a no-go zone.
A spokesman for East Lothian Council said: “The surface sand has been raked over but the advice to visitors is to avoid this area, including keeping dogs away, until after this afternoon’s high tide which will wash away any remaining debris.”
Police have now cordoned off the area.
Common minke whales grow up to a maximum length of 35ft, meaning the beast that washed up this week really was sizeable.
The area is still a no-go zone (Image: PA)
When whales die, the decomposition process produces putrid gas that means the carcass expands.
There have been several reports of beached whales actually exploding, covering the beach with innards and unleashing the full extent of their rancid smell.
Although there were signs that the whale in Scotland was expanding, a council spokeswoman confirmed to the MailOnline[4] there was no risk of a blast.
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References
- ^ whale (www.dailystar.co.uk)
- ^ Scotland (www.dailystar.co.uk)
- ^ ISIS killers’ chilling texts tell how they they ‘hunted’ Brits and fed them to crocs (www.dailystar.co.uk)
- ^ MailOnline (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ here (www.dailystar.co.uk)