Sperm whale entangled in rope dies after stranding

A sperm whale that was entangled successful ropes has died aft it became stranded connected a enactment of the land of Raasay.

The carnal was spotted successful trouble disconnected adjacent Skye connected Thursday.

British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) managed to chopped 5 ropes from the carnal connected Saturday but immoderate remained astir its head.

It was discovered connected Monday connected the shoreline adjacent Oskaig, connected Raasay's westbound coast.

Sperm whales are a deep-diving taxon and big males tin turn to 18m (59ft) successful magnitude and females 11m (36ft).

They tin dive to 2 miles (3km) underwater to hunt squid.

Highland Council has work for disposing of the Raasay carcass.

A spokesperson said: "Our biology wellness officers are liaising with the Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme (Smass) squad implicit the incident.

"The assembly has a work to dispose of carcasses resulting from whale strandings and volition marque preparations erstwhile the afloat grade and size of the whale is established.

"A scope of disposal options volition beryllium considered."

The stranding follows different caller incidents involving entangled whales.

In February, 2 fisherman rescued a humpback whale recovered entangled successful creel sportfishing cogwheel disconnected the seashore of Skye.

The creel fishermen had been moving further southbound erstwhile they received a study of the entangled whale.

A azygous enactment had go anchored astir the process of the humpback.

In January, BDMLR freed a humpback whale entangled successful ropes astatine a Skye salmon farm.

The carnal was spotted successful trouble astatine Organic Sea Harvest's Invertote tract adjacent Staffin successful the northbound of the island.

BDMLR said the enactment was wrapped astir the whale's caput and near fin.

These entanglements tin impact creel sportfishing cogwheel oregon shade cogwheel - enactment and nets that person been mislaid oregon abandoned by sportfishing boats.

A sperm whale that died aft stranding connected the Isle of Harris successful November 2019 had a 100kg "litter ball" successful its stomach.

Fishing nets, rope, packing straps, bags and integrative cups were among the items discovered successful a compacted wide during an probe by Smass.

A ample fig of entanglements impact humpback and minke whales.