A Highbridge resident was surprised to find the remains of a whale washed up on a local riverbank during the New Year holiday weekend.
Joy Russell made the discovery while out walking her dog on New Year’s Day on the bank of the River Parrett by the sea wall near West Huntspill.
She told Burnham-On-Sea.com: “I saw the remains of a large dead creature washed up on the bank of the River Parrett and initially had no idea what it could be as its condition was very poor and I was told by a local that it had been there for the past week at least.”
“We thought maybe part of a whale or even a walrus? It looked like it may have died a very long time ago as there was no smell from about two metres away.”
“I would guess it was about three metres long. At first glance I just thought it was an old mattress and carpet that somebody had dumped but soon realised sadly that wasn’t the case.”
“I contacted The Natural History Museum strandings department with photos and location and they were thankful for my report but as it was so decomposed Andrew Baillie, the Cetacean Strandings Officer, couldn’t say for sure what it was.”
“However, he suspected that it might be some of the remains of a fin whale as one was seen dead in October floating off the coast of Devon, and later washed up at Porlock Weir where it decomposed and apparently some of the bones are still there. It was about 50ft long.”
“The fin whale, known as ‘greyhounds of the sea’, can grow up to 80ft (24m) and weigh up to 120 tonnes. They are the world’s second largest animal after the Blue Whale. They are currently classed as a vulnerable species, according to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.”
On the 15th November 2023 a female fin whale measuring 16m (52ft) was found dead at Fistral beach Cornwall.
Cetacean sightings are becoming more common around the UK’s coastlines and if you come across any alive or dead marine animal, contact British Divers Marine Life Rescue charity on 01825 765546 or their Hotline 0800 6520 333.
