Walker finds dead porpoise with injuries washed up between Saltburn and Marske beaches
The marine mammal is thought to be a harbour porpoise and appeared to have suffered bite injuries
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BBC News
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image captionThere have been reports of people climbing on the carcasses, the council said
Work is under way to remove the bodies of a pod of sperm whales washed up from the North Sea.
The 10 whales died after getting stranded on the beach between Tunstall and Withernsea on Christmas Eve.
Some of the animals were washed back into the sea but work has started to remove the remaining carcasses.
The council said people had been coming to look at the carcasses, with some climbing on the animals and they urged people to stay away.
image copyrightEmily Mayman (BDMLR)
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A Marine Life rescue team, the coastguard and police have all been called to the shocking scene and are monitoring the situation.
Why do whales end up beached along Britain s coasts?
It is uncertain why whales end up beached along British coasts, however there are multiple theories that could explain it.
One such theory is navigational errors. Gently sloping coastlines and food rich ocean currents close to shores can confuse the animals.
Another is toxic algae blooms which, along with viruses, can cause mass sickness in pods and which leave the animals too sick to swim.
As well as this, shipping and military sonar interference can scare the animals and cause distress, sometimes decompression sickness, as they swim to the surface.