A young sperm whale died yesterday after beaching on the Belgian coast.
The whale was about 13 metres in length, weighed about 30 tons and was about 10-years-old, according to Steve Vervaecke from Belgium's Sea Life Centre
Mr Vervaecke said he believed the whale beached itself at around 3:00am local time during high tide. It was found at low tide some five hours later.
The whale had tried to move itself back into the sea, but ended up digging itself into a pit due to the movement.
Mr Vervaecke said the whale may have beached because of sickness or because it may have become disoriented.
Sperm whales can usually be found in the Atlantic, according to Sigrid Maebe, a marine biologist at the Belgium's Royal Institute of Science. Male sperm whales migrate from the Tropics to the Poles, so the beached whale may have ''taken the wrong exit'' over Scotland, ending up in the North Sea.
The North Sea is not a suitable environment for the whales because they can't find enough food, said Ms Maebe. While a whale in good health may have survived, an already weakened whale may find it difficult.
Veterinarians will examine the whale to understand why it died.
3 News / Reuters