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A pod of 10 whales that were stranded off the East Yorkshire coast has died.
Members of the Coast Guard and British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) were called to the beach between Tunstall and Withernsea on Thursday morning to help the mammals as fears for their health mounted.
A rescue operation was called off earlier due to bad weather and rough seas, and the last of the whales died during the afternoon, BDMLR confirmed.
The herd has been stranded on a stretch of shoreline between the towns of Tunstall and Withernsea.
At least two of the animals were washed up on the beach, where their chances of survival were slim.
In announcing the news, the BDLMR said: “We would like to extend our sincere thanks and gratitude to our entire team involved on the ground and behind the scenes in this dire situation today, every day for it to happen, as well as our colleagues from the Maritime and Coast Guard Agency who have been on the scene all day dealing with these tragic and difficult circumstances. “
They also explained that it had been impossible to move the creatures to safety.
“Due to the large size and weight of these animals, there are no safe methods to lift and move live animals almost 20 m in length and up to 80 tons in weight, nor are there safe and effective methods to put them to sleep,” he said.
A spokeswoman previously said the group was thought to be made up of young men who were “in very poor nutritional condition.”
The North Sea is a difficult environment for sperm whales, as the shallow waters have few deep-sea squid that they usually feed on.
There is currently no rescue operation in progress due to bad weather
It is not known if post-mortem examinations can be performed due to the coronavirus pandemic and the Christmas holidays.
There have been some earlier reports of more whales at Spurn Point, but nothing has been found yet.
A spokeswoman for the Coast Guard and Maritime Agency said they had been called in by a member of the public who saw the whales off shore.
Humberside Police Chief Superintendent Darren Downs said: “I understand the public interest in the incident, but I urge people to stay clear of the area to allow HM Coastguard crews to handle what is an extremely distressing scene.
“I would also like to remind people that there is a risk to themselves and others as crowds gather to witness the scene. The COVID-19 pandemic remains a high risk to public health, people should not gather. in groups because there is a danger of transmitting crowds. “
