Rare Sowerby’s Beaked Whale Washes Ashore Near Coastal Resort

A Sowerby’s beaked whale, a species infrequently observed at sea, has been officially identified after stranding near a coastal resort. The remains of the juvenile male whale were discovered on Saturday close to Smallmouth Beach in Weymouth, Dorset. Specialists from London Zoo verified the species, believed to reside in the deep ocean trenches of the North Atlantic. According to experts, the 11.5ft (3.5m) whale might have succumbed to starvation, being in an unsuitable area for foraging. A member of the public notified the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy, which subsequently requested British Divers Marine Life Rescue to retrieve the carcass from the water. The Sea Watch Foundation states that the lives of Sowerby’s beaked whales are not extensively researched because of the challenges in observing them. While they are “rarely seen at sea,” the charity noted that over 100 strandings have occurred along the British coastline since 1913. The foundation indicates that sightings within the British Isles typically occur off the coasts of Ireland and Scotland.