Actor Russell Crowe may have let it slip that Ed Sheeran has got engaged to his partner Cherry Seaborn.

The last whale to die and be washed up in Suffolk was in 2012, when one beached at the mouth of the River Ore at Shingle Street, near Hollesley.

Image source, Audrey Boyle

It was identified as a juvenile fin whale, which the Cetacean Stranding Investigation Programme said at the time was a "fairly unusual" species to be found beached in the UK.

But bizarrely, another fin whale was found dead on a beach in Norfolk just last October at the Holkham National Nature Reserve.

There were further whale strandings earlier in 2016 at Hunstanton and then Mundesley, which in turn followed a series of incidents around The Wash and across the North Sea.

In 2007, a northern bottlenose whale died after swimming up the river and becoming stranded at the end of Ipswich docks, close to the Orwell Bridge.

While uncertainty remains over the type of whale that's lying on the beach at Felixstowe, the second whale, on the River Ore near Orford, has been identified as a minke whale.

So what do we know about minke whales? According to Whale-World, external, they're the second smallest of the baleen category:

• They aren't likely to be more than 35 feet (10m) long or to weigh more than 5.5 tons
• They feature two blowholes, and are black and white in colour
• Other characteristics include two flippers that are very long, and a dorsal fin that is small
• They're not very social, many live alone
• They have a life expectancy of 50 years, drastically less than most other species of whale (eg a blue whale lives 80-110 years)

Image source, Matt Porter

This was the scene on the beach at Felixstowe on Sunday afternoon, as news spread that a whale had been washed up.

It's still not clear what species of whale we're looking at.

These photos are taken on an area of beach just to the north of Manning's Amusements.

Brenner Woolley
BBC Radio Suffolk sport

Ipswich Town, external midfielder Andre Dozzell has been named in the England Under-19 squad for the forthcoming European Championship in Georgia.

The 18-year-old had initially been selected in the Under-20 squad for this summer's Toulon Tournament.

The Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme, external, reporting on the sightings of two dead whales at Felixstowe and Orford, says there's been no confirmed sighting of a third whale off the coast of Harwich.

Image source, Fleur Hayles

Writing on its Facebook page last night, the programme said: "There have been a number of media reports of a potential multiple mortality event of minke whales in Suffolk.

"Just to clarify where we actually stand at the moment - a single minke whale was recorded dead stranded near Havergate Island in Suffolk yesterday [Saturday] morning.

"A decomposed baleen whale was also reported stranded at Felixstowe - this is likely to be the body of a dead whale that was reported floating off Harwich on [Saturday] 20 May.

"The species of this whale has not been identified yet.

"A third decomposed whale was also reported floating off the Suffolk coast yesterday [Saturday], but there has been no further confirmation of this sighting as yet.

"The two confirmed stranding events are unlikely to be related given the differing degree of decomposition."

The CSIP hopes to attend the stranded minke whale and the decomposed whale at Felixstowe to collect some samples and to attempt to carry out a field necropsy (a surgical examination of a dead body).

Results will be posted if appropriate.

So, it's not really clear how many whales we are talking about at the moment...

Matt Porter, who's an occasional technology guest for BBC Suffolk, was at Orford yesterday when he heard about the dead whale.

Image source, Matt Porter

He told us he'd gone to see the castle: "While we were on the quay the harbour master came over to us and said 'you know there's a minke whale round the corner over there'.

"I'd taken my drone to get some footage [of the castle].

"We went for a walk along the footpath and as we came round the corner there was one of the whales lying on the mud which was very sad."

Image source, Matt Porter

Brenner Woolley
BBC Radio Suffolk sport

Suffolk's cricketers, external are through to the quarter-finals of the one-day Unicorns Trophy, external for the first time since 2014.

They beat Bedfordshire by six runs at Woolpit yesterday to progress on net run-rate.

Tom Rash (pictured) was the pick of Suffolk's batsmen, with 82 runs, while Jack Beaumont took five of the visitors' wickets.

Brenner Woolley
BBC Radio Suffolk sport

Ipswich Witches, external came out on top after a thrilling end to yesterday's Championship, external meeting at Scunthorpe Scorpions.

Captain Danny King (pictured) won heat 15 to secure himself a 15-point maximum and his side a 46-44 victory.

"Danny hasn’t been the best away from home this year, but he has been working hard and tonight he made a few changes which obviously worked and he looked like his old self tonight," team manager Ritchie Hawkins told the club website.

There are fears more whales could be close to the coast in shallow water, following the discovery of two dead mammals off the Suffolk coast and another off Harwich.

Image source, Felixstowe Coast Patrol Rescue Service

John Cresswell, from the Felixstowe Coast Patrol Rescue Service, external, said: "There's possibly going to be other ones in the next few days.

"We're having reports coming in from vessels all over the place, they've all been briefed to keep a look out for whales.

"As soon as we know where they are, we'll try and do what we can to actually take them further out off the coast, but that is very, very difficult to do.

"They're already stressed up, that's why they're this close in shore."

Luke Deal
BBC Radio Suffolk

I've come down to Felixstowe, where we're expecting the body of a minke whale to be removed later this morning. The smell coming off the whale is "indescribable".

PCSO (Police Community Support Officer) John Hood told me: "We're trying to keep people away from it because you never know what's going to happen.

"Word is it's going to get moved later today, either by crane and put onto an HGV or a flatbed truck and taken out, or towed out into the sea.

"We don't know yet, we've had no word on what's happening and when it is going to happen."

Kate Kinsella
BBC Weather

Remaining dry and often rather sunny through today.

The cloud may increase this afternoon but it should stay dry.

Feeling warm in the light winds and strong spring sunshine, although cooler towards the coast.

Highs of 22C (72F).

Get more on the forecast where you live, from BBC Weather.

Philippa Taylor
BBC Local Live

We're on whale watch, following the discovery of three dead whales off the coast of Suffolk and Essex over the weekend.

An adult minke whale washed up close to the pier at Felixstowe on Saturday evening, and a dead calf was spotted on mudflats on the River Ore.

The third whale was seen in water off Harwich.

It's understood attempts will be made to remove the whale at Felixstowe during the day, so we'll keep you posted on this, and any other sightings that are made.

If you've been down to either Felixstowe or the Ore, and have any photographs you'd be willing to share with us, you can contact us via the "Get involved" link at the top of this page.

Coastal volunteers believe the three whales could be part of a much wider pod.

Ben Parker ran the Kesgrave course despite having suffered two strokes caused by a hole in his heart.