EditorRare juvenile whale washes up on Llangennith beach
The female, thought to be less than a year old, was spotted in the shallows during low tide on Monday afternoon (1 September). Members of the public tried to keep the animal wet until help arrived, but it sadly died before rescue teams reached the scene.
Gower Sealife described the sighting as “very rare” for the area, adding: “These mammals are out there!!!”
Rescue response
The UK Coastguard and British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) were called to the beach after reports of the stranding.
Coastguard volunteer Mark Button said:
“We got paged to say that people had found a whale on the beach and we went to investigate… apparently four people tried to keep it alive by splashing water over it but sadly it passed before we got there.”
He added that he had never seen or heard of a long‑finned pilot whale in the area before. While dolphins and basking sharks are sometimes spotted off Gower, this was an exceptional occurrence.
BDMLR confirmed the whale was a juvenile and said its team, alongside Marine Environmental Monitoring, secured the carcass for a post‑mortem examination.
About the species
Long‑finned pilot whales are more commonly found in the North Atlantic Ocean. Adults can grow up to 7.6 metres in length and weigh as much as 4,500 kg. They are highly social, living in close‑knit pods, and are known for their loyalty to one another.
Because of these strong social bonds, locals are being urged to keep watch for any other whales that may approach the shore in response to the stranding.
Advice to the public
Anyone who finds a stranded or distressed marine animal is urged to contact the cetacean rescue team immediately on 01825 765546.
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Dan Santillo Photography
RhiMG