Whale may have died because it struggled to feed in Firth of Forth

Adead Sei whale found washed up in Fife is believed to be only the second of its kind to become stranded in Scotland for at least 30 years.

A post mortem has been carried out on the dead animal with scientists suggesting it may have died after struggling to feed.

The 37ft adult whale had become stranded near North Queensferry last Wednesday, with divers from the British Divers Marine Life Rescue helping it back out into the Forth.

It was found near Burntisland 24 hours later, with markings allowing it to be identified.

Fife Coast and Countryside Trust (FCCT), which oversaw the post mortem and recovery, said it hoped the study will provide vital clues as to why the whale died and how future strandings could be prevented.

A spokesperson for FCCT said: “The stranding of Sei whale in Scotland is very rare and in the last 30 years to the best of our knowledge it has only happened twice.

“A request was made from the Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme (University of Glasgow) to recover the whale for a necropsy, a legislative entitlement.

“As this happened in the Forth Estuary, it was important to try to identify the reasons why the young whale had perished and possibly what actions can be done to prevent further standings.”

Following the post mortem, the animal was transported to Lochhead landfill site in Dunfermline for disposal.

But locals questioned why the whale’s body was sent to a landfill rather than being disposed of back into the sea where it could contribute to the ecosystem.

FCCT explained that the carcass could have posed a danger in the Forth.

“Normally when whales die in the ocean, their bodies do eventually sink to the ocean bed and the carcass becomes an ecosystem for other fish and sea animals,” the trust said.

“However, when floating in a busy shipping lane such as the Forth they can become a hazard to watercraft.”

Whale and Dolphin Conservation, the UK’s leading charity, said that logistically it can prove too difficult to take the dead animals back out to deep enough water.

Without doing this there would be a risk it could wash back up onshore.

The post mortem process also complicates disposal, it said: “Once this has been completed, the whale or dolphin is then seen as a health hazard as the cause of death could be disease for example.

“In these cases the animal will need to be removed and disposed of safely.”

The charity also said it could even be irresponsible to return it to the sea. “Many whales and dolphins strand because of excessive levels of pollutants in their system, like PCBs,” it said.

“Some whales, like belugas, are actually treated in the same way as toxic waste when they strand and to return a heavily-polluted animal would be considered irresponsible.”

It is not the first time dead whales discovered in Fife have posed logistical problems.

In 2012, 17 pilot whales died after becoming stranded on a beach near Anstruther, with their bodies eventually transported to Moray. It was reported the operation had cost Fife Council as much as £12,000.

HAZARD: The 30ft corpse is disposed of at Burntisland as it was deemed too dangerous for shipping or to take it out to deeper water.