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Fin whale carcass found on Westkapelle beach on Oct. 2, 2022.
Fin whale carcass found on Westkapelle beach on Oct. 2, 2022. - Credit: SOSDolfijn / Twitter - License: All Rights Reserved
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Fin whale
Westkapelle
Nieuwpoort
Zeebrugge
Sunday, 2 October 2022 - 11:50

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Ten-ton dead whale washes up on the Dutch coast; Went missing in Belgium

A fin whale carcass nearly 14 meters long and weighing 10 tons washed up on the dike of Westkapelle on Sunday morning. The whale cadaver was previously spotted off the coast of Nieuwpoort on Friday, according to Provinciale Zeeuwse Courant.

Several ships were searching for the missing fin whale carcass, which drifted toward Zeebrugge after it was spotted on Friday. Belgian rescue services concluded their search when the whale was found at Westkapelle.

Een #Vinvis aangespoeld op de #dijk in #Westkapelle. Het karkas zal morgen worden geruimd. Dat betekend dat de wandelaars van de #Kustmarathon kunnen genieten van het uitzicht, maar ook van de lucht. pic.twitter.com/IDIWREYJgH

— Jelte Poppe (@JeltePoppe) October 2, 2022

After searchers lost track of the carcass on Saturday, there were several theories as to where the whale could be. Some believed it had already sunk, according to Provinciale Zeeuwse Courant.

The whale carcass has not yet been removed because there is a marathon taking place nearby. However, it is already emitting a strong odor, according to the ANP.

Het kadaver van een gewone #vinvis is aangespoeld bij #Westkapelle #omroepzeeland #kustmarathon pic.twitter.com/juaOi4aepn

— SimoneGideonse (@SimoneGideonse) October 2, 2022

Adult fin whales can reach up to 27 meters long. They come in second after the blue whale as the largest whale species.

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