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VIDEO: Dead whale calf found beached on the Playa del Alamillo beach in Mazarrón
The cetacean had to be removed from the shore of the beach with a crane due to its size and weight
A whale calf was found dead this Tuesday morning, May 6, on the Playa del Alamillo beach in Mazarrón. The finding of the beached animal prompted Civil Protection and Emergency services to be mobilised to remove the animal.
Specifically, according to sources from Ecologists in Action, the animal is a Cuvier's beaked whale, one of the ‘rarest’ specimens in the waters off the Region of Murcia and which looks a bit like a very large dolphin.
Due to the weight and size of its body, which is several metres long, despite the fact it is only a young calf, it was necessary to use a crane for its removal and subsequent transfer off the beach. The causes of the whale’s death are not yet known.
A necropsy will be necessary to determine why the animal died, although among the most frequent causes of this type of stranding are possible illnesses contracted, disorientation or a collision with a boat that may have passed through the area.
The El Alamillo beach is a place frequented by both locals and tourists, especially during the summer season, as it is a very coveted area due to its golden sand, as well as its panoramic views towards Isla Plana and La Azohía.
Unfortunately, this is not the only similar marine specimen to appear dead in Mazarrón waters in recent years. Two and a half years ago a dolphin was found lifeless on the shores of a beach in the coastal town, on the well-known beach of Bolnuevo.
The most recent known case occurred this March, when the lifeless body of another dolphin was found on the beach of El Lastre in La Unión.
Image: Servicio de Emergencias Municipal y Protección Civil de Mazarrón
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