Drone images of dead humpback whale confirm different animal spotted in Bridlington

Drone images of a dead humpback whale have revealed that it isn't the same animal sighted in Bridlington, earlier this week.
Images: Alex Christie/NECPImages: Alex Christie/NECP
Images: Alex Christie/NECP

Ian Howard captured four images of the humpback whale in Bridlington Bay on Monday.

Then just one day later it has been confirmed that a humpback whale has been found dead floating off shore around Whitley Bay.

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Martin Kitching, North East Regional Officer MARINElife, had hoped it was the same animal as he was informed it was in a "great deal of distress".

Images: Alex Christie/NECPImages: Alex Christie/NECP
Images: Alex Christie/NECP

He said: "I had a message about a humpback whale 3nm E of the Tyne. Images and video showed an animal in a great deal of distress, swimming with it's head up out of the water and groaning.

"Part of the lower jaw appears to be missing and one of the pectoral fins appears to show some damage which may be consistent with entanglement."

Today, it has been established that the dead humpback whale is "probably a female whale and both jaws look to be intact."

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Martin added: "That does mean that the injured, distressed animal last seen in Yorkshire on Monday is probably still in the North Sea and could be still fairly close to shore.

Images: Alex Christie/NECPImages: Alex Christie/NECP
Images: Alex Christie/NECP

"We were hoping that the dead whale was the one seen at the weekend and it's awful to think that there's another distressed Humpback out there."

If you see the humpback whale in the area phone BDMLR on 01825 765546.

MARINElife advise: "If you're in a boat and come across it please try to obtain images/video without closely approaching it so that BDMLR will have an idea of what sort of situation they're likely to be dealing with."