Injured 45ft sperm whale washes up on beach and dies before it can be saved
An injured sperm whale that drifted ashore on the Belgian coast has perished before it could be rescued.
Experts believe the whale was likely making a seasonal migration and ended up in the North Sea by accident.
The majestic creature measured 13 metres - 45 feet - and weighed more than 30 tonnes.
A sperm whale lies on the water's edge after it became stranded on the beach of Knokke-Heist, Belgium, yesterday
Scientists inspect the sperm whale stranded on a Belgium beach after it accidentally ended up in the North Sea
Jan Haelters, of the Natural Science Institute, told the Belgium VRT network that 'it is treacherous out here for sperm whales since the North Sea is not deep enough.'
Despite the freezing cold on the windy beach, it soon became an attraction for local schools and tourists.
The whale was still alive when it drifted ashore early on Wednesday morning but scientists were unable to treat its injuries and it died.
Its death comes at a time when sperm whales as a species are at great risk from the damage done by humans to the environment.
Although we no longer hunt sperm whales for the oil in their heads, the pollution we dump in the sea - particularly plastic bags - affects them more than any other creature.
Chromium - a deadly carcinogen that causes lung cancer in humans - is absorbed by sperm whales passing chemical plants because they breathe so deeply at the surface.
Big swim: Despite rescue efforts by scientists, the migrating whale died from its injuries on the cold and windy beach
Tourists and local schoolchildren travelled to the chilly coastline to marvel at the 13m-long whale
The result can cause changes to immune systems and fertility, creating birth defects similar to Down’s syndrome in humans.
In another recent and tragic case, a
group of seven sperm whales were stranded on a Mediterranean beach after
being driven into shallow waters, possibly by military sonar exercises.
There they were unable to feed on squid and began to dehydrate, since they obtain liquid from food.
As their starving bodies began to
break down fat, the pollutants they had absorbed from the ocean were
released. These included heavy metals such as mercury, lead and cadmium and even fire-retardants used on
When the carcasses of the poisoned animals were dissected, scientists found an unusual amount of plastic - including bags - in their stomachs.
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