A sperm whale which was spotted swimming dangerously close to the shore in Northumberland has died.

The whale was seen along the coastline on Friday afternoon, in shallow waters in Newbiggin-by-the-Sea.

A post-mortem will take place on the 30-tonne whale to find out why it died.

Image: The whale had been dangerously close to the shore

Image: Members of the public have been warned to stay away from the body

On Friday, a spokesman for the British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) said the 13.3m-long young male was "probably not going to survive" due to lack of food.

Sightings of sperm whales in British waters are "very rare", the spokesman added.


Sperm whales are the largest of the toothed whales, and not often seen in the North Sea as it lacks the giant and colossal squid they usually feed on.

Tropical waters are a more natural habitat for them.

Image: The whale washed up at Newbiggin-by-the-Sea

A spokesman for the BDMLR said this morning: "It is very important to note that cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises) are mammals like us humans, and therefore able to carry serious diseases that can be transmitted between us.

"We would advise members of the public to avoid all contact with the carcass and any bodily fluids to avoid any risk of infection from them - there is the possibility that this may have been an animal that was already ill.

"Incidents like this do tend to draw crowds and we would urge people to please be respectful of this situation and advice provided."