Whale stranded near airport passes away
AWHALE has died after becoming stranded in water close to Glasgow Airport. British Divers Marine Life Rescue ( BDMLR) was called to the Black Cart Water just before 11am yesterday after receiving reports of sightings that the marine mammal was in distress.
The charity has since confirmed that the 6.2- metrelong northern bottlenosed whale sadly passed away in the attempts to rescue it.
A spokeswoman said yesterday: “A call was received just before 11am reporting a stranded whale at Black Cart Water in Clyde.
“The Coastguard Rescue Teams from Greenock, Helensburgh and Ardrossan are in attendance to provide safety cover while the British Divers Marine Life Rescue team attempt to rescue the whale.”
We told on Sunday how a Northern Bottlenose Whale was spotted swimming in the Glasgow Harbour area, near Partick.
This type of whale is one of the deepest- diving mammals known to man and can reach depths of up to around 2400m.
With the shallow waters of the Clyde, it can be dangerous for the animals to be in this area – as the river is only up to 164m deep.
The BDMLR team said they had been watching the movements of the whale after a pod had been frequenting the area for several weeks.
Scottish SPCA chief inspector Elaine Lindsay said: “We are very sorry to hear about the whale who sadly passed away in Renfrew this afternoon.
“The BDMLR contacted us with regards to the incident. We offered our services but they did not require our help.
“BDMLR are experts in the refloating of marine life and have the necessary specialist equipment. When we encounter beached sea creatures we would always contact BDMLR for assistance. We know they would have done everything in their power to help the whale.
“There are lots of reasons whales and other marine mammals sometimes beach themselves such as changing tide or losing their way.
“If anyone comes across a beached whale, they should stay a safe distance away to avoid causing the animal further stress and immediately contact ourselves and the British Divers Marine Life Rescue.”