Wind turbines, mud banks blamed after three whales wash up dead

THREE whales have died off the coast of the UK and two more are in distress.

The first, a minke calf, was spotted on a mud bank in the River Ore, near Felixstowe in Suffolk, on Saturday.

An area of Felixstowe Pier was sealed off after a 9.5m whale, thought to be the calf ’s mother, washed up on the beach.

Another dead adult whale was seen in the water near Harwick, Essex. Coastal volunteers believe they could be part of a much wider pod.

John Cresswell, from the Felixstowe Volunteer Coast Patrol Rescue Service, said it was normal for porpoises to wash up on the shore, but not whales. He said: “This is a really sad day. “I have worked as a volunteer coastguard for 21 years now and never seen anything like it. These creatures are beautiful and we need to do something to stop this.”

Cresswell added that another two minke whales are currently in distress. He thinks there are two possible reasons for the deaths. He said: “Sometimes whales can’t get very good sonar transmission near mud banks, which means they end up at shore.

“I also believe that the wind turbines would have contributed to this, as whales aren’t able to communicate properly when wind turbines are being used.”

Cresswell said the council had cancelled plans to use a disposal firm to tow the whales to sea and “let nature take its course” over fears the carcasses could be a hazard to fishermen.