Dead Minke Whale found in Manx waters

A dead whale has been found floating off the south coast of the Island.

The Manx Whale and Dolphin Watch says it appeared on Saturday (August 27) after being spotted by local fishermen near Bradda head.

The charity investigated on its research vessel - Galps later that day.

It says the whale is around 10-11 meters long, but the level of decay and loss of pigmentation in the skin has made the species difficult to identify.

However, the charity says going on size - it's thought to be a large minke whale.

It adds there is no way of telling if the animal had any obvious injuries - and it may have died of natural causes.

When whales die, they fill with gas - which leads them to float to the surface.

However, once this releases - the carcass will drop onto the seabed - providing food for hundreds of marine organisms for many months to come.