A decomposed whale, which is believed to have been dead for several weeks, has washed up on Balmedie Beach.
Walkers have been making other visitors aware of the whale carcass near the shore.
Yvonne Redmond was out walking with a friend in Balmedie on Sunday when they came across the beached whale.
The Bridge of Don resident said: “We were taken aback by the size of the thing.
“Another walker had warned us it was there, and asked us to tell any dog owners to keep their dogs on leads because it was so badly decomposing.
“There didn’t appear to be a head on it anymore but it still had a blue colour and was huge. A magnificent animal.
“It was an amazing but very sad thing to see. It must have been there a while.”
The carcass has been reported to Scottish Marine Animal Strandings Scheme (SMASS), who examined the body this morning.
Stranding coordinator for Smass, Nick Davidson, said it was very difficult to tell what kind of whale it is and that it had probably been dead for several weeks.
“It’s very decomposed,” he added. “I can’t tell you what species it is. I can tell you it’s a baleen whale, so the same group of whales as minke whales, humpbacks, fin whales and blue whales.
“I’m not even sure how long it has been there. And it’s too decomposed to even do anything with.”
‘Not an unusual occurence’
While the dead whale on the beach might be “unpleasant” for locals and dogs might take an “unhealthy interest” in it, Mr Davidson said it was a natural occurrence.
He added: “We get around 700-800 records of dead marine animals around the coast of Scotland each year but that’s including porpoises, dolphins and seals. It’s not an unusual occurrence.
“These things happen, it’s nature. Animals wash up on the shore and they might be unpleasant and they might smell bad but they do provide a very valuable resource for wildlife scavengers and the sorts who rely on this as a food source.
“And as a beach hazard, plastic and rubbish and debris that’s produced by humans is far more of a concern on the beach rather the natural process of a dead wild animal.”
Anyone who comes across a dead or stranded marine animal is urged to contact Smass on 07979 245 893 or by e-mail on strandings@sruc.ac.uk
Aberdeenshire Council has been contacted for comment.
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