Minke
August 27, 2012 § Leave a Comment
At lunchtime word reached The Croft that a whale had washed ashore at the beach just down the road so I hopped on the bike and made the two minute journey down to see what was there.
Sure enough, a 6 meter male Common Minke whale, dead in the water and making a stench, flopped sad and lifeless in the breakwater. The tide was coming in and the rain was driving, the only colour in the gray was its bright red, distended internals, puffed out like a baleen bullfrog or baboon butt. Not a very dignified death but only the coastguard, sheltering in his 4×4 was there to witness the ignominy.
Shame really, they usually live for 20 years and no idea how long this one swam the sea but his time was obviously up, for reasons unknown.
By the time I left the smell downwind was already pretty interesting, high tide was due soon though and no doubt plans are afoot to deal with the big body.
As long as they don’t try and blow him up
