A gigantic fin whale died after it was stranded off the East Yorkshire coast today.
The 39-foot whale was spotted in shallow water in the North Sea by Bridlington beach at around 1.15pm.
It is uncommon for fin whales, the second largest species in the world, to be in the North Sea, suggesting it could have been suffering from malnutrition or disease.
Hundreds of people watched as rescue teams from the Coastguard and the British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) tried to save the poor animal, which died this evening.
Mary Ford, who lives nearby, said: ‘It is very sad to see such a beautiful creature die.
‘It was throwing a huge spout of water initially, then that got less and less as time went on.
‘It was obvious it was dying.’
Another local said her dog howled just as the whale died.
She said: ‘It’s like he knew the whale had died.’
As the tide receded the huge whale struggled to lift its head and was seen thrashing its tail.
Trails of bright red blood could be seen coming from its tail end.
The BDMLR said: ‘Sadly we are not able to return them to the water due to their size.
‘The fin whale is not common in the North Sea therefore for it to be found in Yorkshire would indicate there is something very wrong with the animal.
‘It’s most likely suffering from malnutrition or disease.’
