Two whales found stranded on Welsh beaches in a single day

The young long‑finned pilot whale, measuring just over 2.7 metres, was discovered on 1 September at Rhossili Bay near the Hillend caravan site. Members of the public tried to return it to the sea, but it died before help could arrive from the Coastguard and British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR).

Experts believe the animal may have become separated from its tightly bonded family group, which could explain its stranding. Its body has been taken for a full post‑mortem by the Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme (CSIP).

Later the same day, the remains of a huge fin whale were found on Cefn Sidan sands. From the beach, you can see Worm’s Head at Rhossili — a reminder of just how close the two incidents were. At more than 21 metres long, with a head over 5 metres in length and 2.5 metres wide, it was an extraordinary sight.

Fin whales are the second largest whale species after the blue whale, and strandings in Wales are exceptionally rare — only four have been recorded in the past 24 years, the last in the River Dee in 2020. This specimen had been dead for some time and was badly decomposed, but samples have been taken for genetic analysis and to test for environmental contaminants.

A spokesperson said:

“To see two whales of such different species strand on the same day in Wales is highly unusual. Every stranding gives us vital information about the health of our seas and the challenges marine life is facing.”

Response teams have thanked BDMLR and Carmarthenshire Council for their assistance.

Reporting strandings Anyone who finds a stranded marine animal should call 0800 652 0333.

• If the animal is alive, select option 1 to be connected to BDMLR.
• For dead strandings, select option 2 and follow the instructions.

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Rare 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.

#BritishDiversMarineLifeRescue #cetaceanRescueTeam #Environment #Gower #GowerSealife #HMCoastguard #Llangennith #longFinnedPilotWhale #MarineEnvironmentalMonitoring #sealife #whale