Minke whale beaches in Belgium

This video is called Swimming with Dwarf Minke Whales (underwater footage).

Translated from Belga news agency today:

Minke whale washed up on the beach of Nieuwpoort

11:23 Early Sunday morning walkers found a beached minke whale on the beach of Nieuwpoort. This is confirmed by the fire brigade of the coastal town.

“It is a minke whale of about 3.5 meters. The animal weighs 400 kilogram. The marine mammal was emaciated, but still intact,” said the fire brigade.

It’s probably a young animal, because adult minke whales can be up to ten meters, while newborns already are about 2.5 meters long. The minke whale is part of the family of baleen whales. “So it is probably a young individual which has strayed,” said the fire brigade.

North Sea minke whales: here.

The dead whale was brought to Gent university for research.

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