Dead minke whale which washed ashore near harbour removed from beach

The carcass of a minke whale has been removed from a beach in East Lothian.

Workers spent around three hours retrieving the carcass from sunrise on Friday morning after the whale washed ashore near North Berwick harbour earlier in the week.

Estimated to weigh around nine tonnes, they used lifting equipment to put the carcass in the back of a lorry to be taken away.

The female was spotted in North Berwick on Wednesday and once the tide receded, the 31ft (9.5m) long animal washed ashore onto West Bay Beach.

A spokesman for East Lothian Council said: “The surface sand has been raked over but the advice to visitors is to avoid this area, including keeping dogs away, until after this afternoon’s high tide which will wash away any remaining debris.”

The area around the whale had been cordoned off by police, and people reported the stench of the whale several streets away from the beach front.

Common minke are the smallest of the baleen whales, reaching up to 27ft in length, and can be spotted around Scotland’s coastal and inshore waters.

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