An 11-metre-long fin whale has washed ashore on Ameland, an island in the north of the Netherlands. The dead whale was found on the beach near the village of Hollum.
Local animal rescue organisation Stichting ReddingsTeam Zeedieren (Marine Animal Rescue Team Foundation) and Dierenambulance (Animal Ambulance) Ameland said the whale had already been dead for some time before reaching the beach.
After talks with the local authorities, it was decided to leave the whale’s body on the beach. A researcher from Utrecht University told Dutch broadcaster NOS that whales wash ashore in the Netherlands only a few times a year.
It is unlikely that researchers will be able to find out how this whale died. The body is already in an advanced state of decomposition. According to the researcher, most of the whale’s organs can no longer be properly examined because of this.
Fin whales are the second-largest whale species in the world, after blue whales. They can grow to more than 20 meters long. The animals are found in oceans around the world, including the North Atlantic.
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