Suffolk whale deaths 'unlikely to be linked'

A third dead whale has been found by experts investigating the deaths of two others found along the Suffolk coast.

A 30ft (9m) decomposed whale washed up on the beach at Felixstowe on Sunday and the body of a minke whale was spotted near Orford on Saturday.

Scientists from the Cetaceans Strandings Investigation Programme (CSIP) say there is now a third dead whale off the coast.

They do not think the deaths are linked.

The third whale floating off the Suffolk coast is thought to be a sperm whale, Rob Deaville, from CSIP, said.

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He believes the whale on the beach at Felixstowe is a fin whale and a large injury on its body is the result of it being struck by a vessel "some time ago, perhaps hundreds of miles away".

CSIP - which attends cases of whales, porpoises and dolphins that become stranded on the UK coastline - is currently examining the Felixstowe whale.

It is too decomposed to carry out a full post-mortem test but samples have been taken to assist with analysis in terms of whale population, Mr Deaville said.

The Orford whale stranded on mud flats on the tidal River Ore will be "tricky to get to", Mr Deaville said.

However, he does not believe the deaths are in any way related.

"Three very different species, and in my opinion, they're not linked," he said.

"It's a series of coincidental events.

"We see hundreds of strandings a year, it just happens that these three are in close proximity."

A spokeswoman for Suffolk Coastal and Waveney Councils said contractors were expected to remove the whale from the beach at Felixstowe on Wednesday.

It is not yet known when the body of the Orford whale will be moved.