East Lothian whale: Residents share concerns as second dead whale washes up on North Berwick beach

Badly decomposed minke whale found on North Berwick beach

A dead minke whale has washed up on an East Lothian beach, less than one month after another was found in the same area.

The dead animal was found in a badly decomposed state on North Berwick beach on Sunday morning. It comes three weeks after another minke whale washed up near the Scottish Seabird Centre on the beach. The 15-foot animal was spotted swimming in waters near Craigleith island by tourists on a boat trip, before being found dead on the sand on April 19.

An East Lothian Council spokesperson said: Unfortunately a badly decomposed minke whale was washed up on North Berwick beach on Sunday morning. A cordon was put in place while arrangements were made to remove it and people were advised to maintain an appropriate distance and to keep dogs away. The whale had been removed by around lunchtime.”

This is the second minke whale found dead on the beach in less than a month. (Photo credit: East Lothian Council)

Locals took to social media to share their concerns about the strandings. One wrote: “This is so sad, so many being washed up at the moment”. Another said: “This is the fourth whale washed up in the last couple of weeks around the UK. It’s so sad. Is something going on?!!”