Highland Council co-ordinates the disposal of beached whale which died near Inverness

Highland Council’s environmental health team was on site today to co-ordinate disposal of the sperm whale which died after stranding close to the shore at Ardersier near Inverness yesterday.

The whale, which measured about 15m (49ft) long and weighed approximately 20 tonne, was moved further away from the village of Ardersier to farmland to minimise any public health concerns.

The burial took place following a post mortem examination of the whale by a team from the Inverness-based Scottish Marine Animal Strandings Scheme (SMASS), part of Scotland's Rural College. The council liaised with Scottish Environment Protection Agency on the disposal.

Environmental health manager Alan Yates said: "The council has a duty to dispose of carcasses resulting from whale strandings, and careful consideration in this case required to be given to the disposal options due to the close proximity of Ardersier village.

"The council is grateful to the local farmer for their co-operation and assistance in disposing of the whale and to the contractors who did a great job of moving and burying the whale in difficult circumstances.”

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