Dead fin whale washed up in Suffolk has strike marks

Scientists have confirmed a dead whale that washed up on a beach on the East coast is a fin whale.

The mammal measured 12.3m (40ft) in length and was found on Bawdsey beach in Suffolk on Monday.

The UK Cetaceans Strandings Investigation Programme (CSIP) which investigated the death said the whale was likely to be a juvenile.

The programme investigates whale, dolphin and porpoise strandings on behalf of the government.

Rob Deauville of CSIP said "vessel-depressions and contact marks" were visible on the exposed mid-region of the whale, indicating it had been struck by the prow of a vessel.

Similar marks had also been observed with several other fin whales previously recorded stranded in the region near Harwich and Felixstowe ports and several others in the UK.

Mr Deauville also said the decomposed condition of the mammal meant a full autopsy was not appropriate.

Instead, samples including skin, blubber, muscle, baleen, and parasites were taken "to help ongoing research on this and other baleen whale species".

Mr Deauville added: "We don't know whether the whale was struck/picked up while alive or already dead - nor whether there were any other underlying issues with the whale."

CSIP said fin whales are the second largest whale species found on the planet.

Every year, an average of three to four fin whales are recorded stranded in the UK.

This is the fourth fin whale found stranded in Suffolk, since UK Government (Defra) created the strandings programme in 1990.

Given its length, this was likely a young animal, perhaps only a few years old at most, according to CSIP.

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