Giant 40ft fin whale washes up on beach

A 40ft whale has washed up on Clacton beach this morning. Picture: BIG BLUE OCEAN CLEANUP (Image: BIG BLUE OCEAN CLEANUP)

Essex Police is working with other organisations, such as volunteers from the Big Blue Ocean Cleanup, to decide how to move the dead animal – which has now been confirmed as a fin whale.

In a post on Facebook, Essex Police said: “Sadly a 40ft whale has been washed up on Clacton this morning.

Authorities are now deciding how they will move the 40ft whale from Clacton beach. Picture: KEVIN JAY (Image: Picture: KEVIN JAY)

“We are currently in attendance with other organisations and discussions are under way on how to remove her. The area is cordoned off and the public are advised to stay away.”

Clacton Coastguard Rescue Team said they were paged by Dover Coastguard Operations Centre at 6.30am this morning after a report of a possible overturned boat.

A large section of the beach in Clacton has been cordoned off by police this morning following the discovery of a 40ft whale. Picture: KEVIN JAY (Image: Picture: KEVIN JAY)

As further information came in of more sightings, the report was changed to a beached whale just off the Holland-on-Sea area.

In a post on Facebook, the coastguard team said: “Once on scene, coastguards have to ascertain if the animal is still alive and arrange rescue, sadly in this case the animal was deceased.

A 40ft whale has been washed up on Clacton beach this morning. Picture: ESSEX POLICE (Image: Picture: ESSEX POLICE)

“Therefore we risk assess the immediate danger to beach users and water users. In this case there is a danger to public health as the animal appeared to be deceased for a few days.

According to local reports, the location of the dead whale is on the eastern side of the seafront, near the Kingscliff Hotel.

The sad discovery of a 40ft whale at Clacton beach in Essex this morning. Picture: KEVIN JAY (Image: Picture: KEVIN JAY)

The stretch of beach has been cordoned off by police and people are being asked to stay away from the area.

Kevin Jay was one of a number of onlookers at the beach between Clacton and Holland-on-Sea this morning and described the scene as “very unusual”.

He said: “The police and other emergency services were there and in control of the site. A lot of people were also there to view the unusual sight and were well spaced out along the upper promenade.”