Cliffe: Washed-up whale carcass removed from Thames mouth after several days

The whale was reported to the UK Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme

The body of a whale that washed up on a Kent shore several days ago has finally been removed after Storm Gerrit hampered recovery efforts.

The young female fin whale washed ashore at Cliffe on Wednesday, the Port of London Authority (PLA) said.

The public had been asked to keep their distance as the carcass may have been carrying harmful bacteria.

The PLA said favourable weather and tidal conditions enabled the carcass to be removed on Saturday.

Previous attempts to recover the whale had been hampered by Storm Gerrit, the mudflats along the rocky foreshore and limited road access at the site, the authority said.

The carcass of a juvenile female fin whale

A PLA spokesperson said: "Thanks to favourable weather and tidal conditions, our Marine Services team were able to remove the whale from the foreshore [on Saturday].

"It has been taken to a safe location for collection by a specialist team."

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