Gorleston: Young minke whale put down after becoming stranded on beach

The young minke whale ended up stranded on Gorleston beach after becoming separated from its mother

A minke whale calf that became beached on a stretch of shoreline has been put down.

The young whale, measuring about 3m long (9.8ft), was found stranded on Gorleston beach, near Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, on Monday evening.

About 20 wildlife and emergency services workers gathered to try to save it.

Dan Goldsmith, of charity Marine and Wildlife Rescue, said a vet was called and a "decision made to euthanise it".

Members of the coastguard, fire service and police assisted wildlife workers to try to save the young whale

The mammal had become separated from its mother, on whom it was still dependent, and she could not be spotted in the nearby area.

"It was definitely in distress," said Mr Goldsmith.

"It wasn't as strong as it should have been - the breathing rate was meant to be quite high for it, so it was under a lot of stress… weighing everything up the experts decided it was the only conclusion.

"It's a shame."

Rescuers remained on scene until 22:00 BST when the animal's body was collected by council workers

Another charity British Divers' Marine Life Rescue (BDLR) had used inflatable pontoons to ensure the whale stayed upright, and remained comfortable.

It was thought attempts to refloat the whale would have stood a better chance of success if it had been an adult.

"Historically, it's been done before where they've put them out and they've just ended up back on the beach," said Mr Goldsmith.

He said the stranding had been unusual, and his local charity had not been involved in a whale rescue for nine years.

Mr Goldsmith said multi-agency workers stayed with the whale for about four hours before its carcass was collected by Great Yarmouth Borough Council.

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