Dead Fin Whale with Strike Marks Washed Up Ashore in Suffolk, England

A dead fin whale with "strike marks" was found along a tourist attraction beach in Suffolk, located southeast of England and northwest of London.

The marine mammal measures up to 40 feet (12.3 meters) comparable to the size of a bus or a fishing boat.

Fin Whale Death

(Photo : Photo by BERNARD BARRON/AFP via Getty Images)

Scientists have confirmed that the dead fin whale was washed up ashore on the East coast of southern Great Britain, according to the BBC.

The mammal was found on Bawdsey beach on Monday, April 18.

The nature and cause of the death are vague but it adds to the several incidents of stranded whales in the UK.

The stranded whale was thought to be already dead before it reached the shore.

Also Read: Stranded Humpback Whale Successfully Returned to Sea

CSIP Investigation

Investigators from the UK Cetaceans Strandings Investigation Programme (CSIP) said the dead fin whale was likely a juvenile.

Rob Deauville of CSIP stated contact marks were evident on the exposed mid-region of the whale, indicating it was caused by the prow of a vessel, as cited by the BBC.

Deauville suggested that a full autopsy on the young whale was not necessarily due to the decomposed condition of the mammal.

The marine animal's current state also indicated that it has been dead for a prolonged period of time.

However, the CSIP representative clarified that there are no further details available yet on whether the marine mammal was caught or struck while it was still alive or dead.

In addition, CSIP investigators are still uncertain if the whale had underlying issues.

Since 1990, the CSIP has been responsible for leading or coordinating investigations on stranded cetaceans such as dolphins, porpoises, and whales along the UK coastline.

The organization is funded by the UK government's Defra and the Devolved Administrations.

Stranded Fin Whales

Fin whales have an approximate population of 75,000 worldwide, including 16,000 in the eastern Pacific Ocean, as per the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries department.

They are considered to be the second-largest whale species on the planet next to the Antarctic blue whale.

There have been multiple related cases of stranded fin whales in the UK.

An average of three to four fin whales are stranded in the territory each year, as per the BBC.

Deauville mentioned that similar marks were also observed with several other finback whales in a region near the ports of Felix Stowe, Harwich, and other parts nationwide.

Marine Habitat

Fin whales have a presence across all the major oceans of the world, including the Arctic and the Antarctic waters.

According to the NOAA Fisheries, they can be found in the Western North Atlantic, Northeast, Hawaii, and off the coasts of California, Oregon, and Washington.

The fast-swimming mammals are normally found in deep waters and offshore waters, especially in temperate regions but are less common in tropical regions.

Furthermore, fin whales migrate from the feeding areas in the polar regions of the Arctic and Antarctica during summer to engage in breeding in the tropics and calving areas every winter.