Incredible drone footage has emerged of the enormous 30ft-long dead whale that washed up on the rocks of Devon.

The rotting carcass of the gigantic creature, believed to be a baleen whale, was first spotted on Wednesday afternoon near Hartland Quay.

The new footage offers a breathtaking view of the rare and reveals the huge size of the animal.

Incredible drone footage has emerged of the enormous 30ft-long dead whale that washed up on the rocks of Devon

This whale is thought to have died at sea and later washed ashore but the cause of death is not yet known.

If it's body is not swept away by the tide, it will be incinerated or put into landfill.

Richard Haste from Torridge Council said it would require a 'major operation' to remove the whale.

The rotting carcass of the gigantic creature, believed to be a baleen whale, was first spotted on Wednesday afternoon near Hartland Quay

The new footage offers a breathtaking view of the rare and reveals the huge size of the animal

Sarah Stafford, manager of the nearby Hartland Quay Hotel and Pub, said: 'We have reported it to the Government on their specialist whale and dolphin hotline.

'It's huge but it's definitely dead. We think it's a baleen whale.'

Members of the public were told to stay away from the whale when it washed ashore and it's thought the tide could be bringing it in further.

The mammal has been identified by an expert as a fin whale.

Huge: The large carcass, thought to be around 30ft-long, washed up on the North Devon beach on Wednesday

Stay safe: There are concerns the tide is washing the gigantic carcass closer to shore

The mammal was initially thought to be a baleen but has been identified by an expert as a fin whale.

Deceased: Cetacean expert Rob Deaville said he thought the creature had been dead for some time due to its condition

But cetacean expert Rob Deaville has told MailOnline it is likely the creature has been dead for some time.

Mr Deaville, who works for the Institute of Zoology and carries out postmortems of sealife, said the condition of the body indicated it had died weeks ago.

He said: 'It is difficult to say when it died but it takes weeks rather than days to decompose to this state, it is safe to say it has been dead for some time.'

Mr Deaville said the reason the whale had appeared to have turned white was because its skin had washed away, leaving the pale white blubber exposed.

He described this finding as a 'sad' event and said around five to six fin whales were washed up a year.

Washed up: The large mammal was first spotted by an onlooker yesterday afternoon

Rotting: Whale expert Rob Deaville said the mammal's skin has been worn away, giving it the lighter appearance which suggests it has been dead for longer than a week

Decomposing: The whale was initially thought to be a baleen but was later identified as a fin whale by experts

But he added there was a small silver lining to the discovery.

Mr Deaville said: 'There is some evidence to say we are seeing more sightings and strandings because their populations are recovering since the ban of whaling in 1986, so it's not always bad news.'

A spokesman for HM Maritime and Coastguard Agency confirmed that had received reports that a whale had been found and were in touch with the local authority.

The public is being urged to stay away from the mammal by the British Divers Marine Life Rescue.

Cheryl Dureden, who is a medic for the BDMLR along with her husband, made the warning yesterday after being called out to the scene.

Mrs Duerden described the area as dangerous with slippery jagged rocks surrounding the huge mammal.

Mrs Durden said: 'It was quite challenging we had to manoevre around jagged rocks in the dark and it was very slippery and pretty foggy too.'

She said: 'Whales can carry lots of diseases which can be passed on to humans so we would advise members of the public not to get too close.

'It is also worth reminding people that it is illegal to remove any part of a whale which has washed up so please keep your distance.'

Stay away: Cheryl Dureden, who is a medic for the British Divers Marine Life Rescue, is urging the public to keep clear

A spokesman for HM Maritime and Coastguard Agency confirmed that had received the alert and were in touch with the local authorities

The public are being warned to stay away from the decomposing carcass

'RAZORBACK' FIN WHALES The fin whale is the second largest mammal in the world, after the blue whale. They are nicknamed 'razorback' because of the distinct ridge along their back behind the dorsal fin. Fin whales also have an unusual distinctive feature in that their lower right jaw is bright white and the lower left jaw is black. They have a population of between 50,000 and 90,000 and are officially an endangered species. The whales, also known by their scientific name of Balaenoptera physalus, weigh about 80 tons and measure between 65ft and 80ft. Advertisement

Sarah Stafford, manager of the Hartland Quay Hotel and Pub, was one of the first to flag up the finding.

She said: 'We have reported it to the Government on their specialist whale and dolphin hotline.

'I can't imagine anything will happen to it very soon because it is dead - but at the moment the tide is currently washing it further inshore.'

This discovery echoes the moment the decomposed body of a huge 50 ft fin whale was washed up on a south Devon beach in September.

There were fears the enormous carcass had become so bloated with gas that it might burst.

Despite its pungent smell, dozens of onlookers gathered to study the whale up close before the area was eventually cordoned off.

The whale had to be carefully cut up into pieces and removed from the popular tourist beach.

And almost four years ago, the dangers of whale carcasses were made clear when one exploded over a marine biologist.

That 45 ft sperm whale died in November 2013 after beaching in the Faroe Islands in the North Atlantic.

As soon as he began cutting it open, the gas trapped inside exploded, spewing organs and guts into the air.