A PILOT whale was found stranded on a beach in Cumbria.

A picture of the whale was put on the Cumbria Whale and Dolphin Watch page.

The regional coordinator for the Sea Watch Foundation and marine biologist Sarah Neill runs the page. Ms Neill, from Grange, also gives lectures at Kendal College. 

She reported the finding, at Silloth beach, to Cetacean Strandings Investigation (CSIP). The CSIP finder reported back a 13ft long juvenile pilot whale. 

Ms Neill said: "Unfortunately, it was dead, but very fresh and after lots of rallying around we have recovered the body for the CSIP so they can perform a post-mortem." 

The Mail: The dead pilot whale being lifted by Silloth harbour workers The dead pilot whale being lifted by Silloth harbour workers (Image: Mark Ware)

The Silloth RNLI and harbour workers were able to move and store the body for the CSIP. The whale will be taken to Liverpool for a full post-mortem which will be crucial to understanding the life and death of the animal. The information will then allow marine biologists an insight into the pattern of whale behaviour off our shores. 

Ms Neill called the stranding 'unusual.' Pilot whales are found across the world in all of the oceans but it is unknown how many there are. 

The Mail: The whale was found on the beach and posted on a Facebook group The whale was found on the beach and posted on a Facebook group (Image: Ian Finlinson)

In 2020, a northern bottlenose whale was found by the Furness Coastguard near Roosebeck. 

Ms Neill gave the following advice on what to do if you discover a dead beached whale. 

She said to call the CSIP on freephone 0800 652 0333. When reporting a dead stranding she said to give a clear description of the location, ideally via what3words. She also said to give the species if known, the overall length and condition of the animal for example if it's fresh, slightly decomposed, moderately decomposed or in advanced decomposition. 

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She recommended taking photos. 

If someone spots a live beached whale, they should immediately call the British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) on freephone 01825 765546. BDMLR has trained marine mammal medics who can assess the live stranding and take the best course of action.