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10-metre humpback whale washes up on Galicia beach
Authorities in northern Spain believe the enormous mammal may have died after becoming trapped in a fishing net
A huge humpback whale measuring 10 metres in length and weighing in at between six and eight tonnes washed up dead on a beach in Ferrol in Spain’s northern region of Galicia this week. It’s believed that the cetacean, which is on the endangered species list, lay stranded for several days before a walker on Marmadeiro beach spotted it and notified the emergency services.
Humpbacks are not frequent visitors to the Galician coast and it’s been around 10 years since the body of this whale species last appeared, so scientists are taking the opportunity to closely examine the specimen and determine its cause of death.
While no hypothesis has been ruled out – the whale was only discovered on Monday June 26 – experts believe it may have died after becoming trapped in fishing nets further out from the coast.The find comes just a few months after beachgoers were mesmerised when a group of six whales, including a calf, were sighted feeding off the coast of Barcelona, the first time in five years a youngster appeared in this area.
Farther south, the Costa Blanca coasts have been graced with far less welcome visitors lately, at least as far as swimmers go. Over the course of a few days, the appearance of several shark species has terrified beachgoers and forced the closure of the strands for several hours.
Scientists believe that increasing sea temperatures could be responsible for changing the behavioural patterns, areas of distribution and migratory routes of large predators like sharks and other marine species.
Images: Proteccion Civil Ferrol
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