Bridlington whale: Roads and slipways to be closed for 'challenging' removal of 17m fin whale which died after beaching on Yorkshire coast

Marine scientists from the government-funded Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme were due to take samples from the dead whale, but have now confirmed they have not been able to access the body.

Rob Deaville from the CSIP said: “A 17.3m fin whale live stranded and died in Bridlington South Beach earlier this week. Unfortunately due to logistical constraints around removal, it’s sadly not possible for us to access and examine it. Much thanks to our friends in the region for their help and good luck with removal plans.”

A spokesperson for East Riding Council said: “Over the next couple of days we will be working with our contractors in an attempt to move the whale away from the beach whole, and we are liaising with zoological experts over the cause of this sad incident.

“To help us, some roads and slipways will be closed, and we’d ask the public to please bear with us. This is a very challenging operation and the largest of its kind we have dealt with.

“The body has moved slightly down the beach overnight because of the tide. There will be a cordon and we are urging people to please stay away from the whale for health reasons, to help us deal with the situation, and also out of respect.”

Security guards have also been employed to prevent onlookers interfering with the carcass – as happened when ‘trophy hunters’ stole body parts from a pod of dead sperm whales at Withernsea in 2020 – and for biosecurity reasons, as it is not known how the 25-tonne juvenile male died.

Large crowds have turned up to view the mammal and parts of the South Beach have been cordoned off by police to prevent people standing on the body.

It is rare for fin whales to visit the North Sea.

How is a whale removed and where does it go?

The council intend to use a special ‘sledge’ which will be dragged off the beach by plant machinery with the animal fastened to it. The whale will then be removed by a crane and transferred to a low loader.

After the Christmas Eve 2020 mass stranding at Withernsea, only one whale of the pod – weighing 20 tonnes – was on East Riding Council-owned land. Contractors Landplant deployed a sledge that was hauled by three JCBs working in a ‘chain’ formation to an exit ramp from the beach. It was then taken to a rendering plant for disposal.

In September 2020 a JCB owned by a local building firm had to be used to remove the corpse of a minke whale from a beach near Whitby.

It is also possible for dead whales to be taken to landfill sites or incinerators for disposal. Their matter is treated in the same way as deceased livestock from farms. In remote locations they can be left to decompose naturally.