Huge whale washes up on Estepona beach

The 12-metre-long corpse appeared on the Rada beach in the Costa del Sol town this Thursday morning

IGNACIO LILLO

Thursday, 20 January 2022, 12:16 | Updated 17:31h.

A dead whale, between 12 and 15 metres long, has been spotted on Rada beach, Estepona. It was first sighted early this morning, 20 January, by a local resident who was walking in the area.

Photographs and videos he took of the whale have since gone viral. The Aula del Mar and the Oceanographic Institute are investigating the appearance of the fin whale. The whale, when alive, is brown-grey colour, has a long silhouette and can weigh up to 70 tonnes.

This whale however is in an advanced state of decomposition and has been dead for at least 10 days. The Junta de Andalucía and Estepona’s operational services will manage the removal of the whale’s carcass from the beach.

Experts said that it is "very rare" for a whale to wash up on the Andalusian coast with it happening maybe just once or twice a year. It is even more unusual for it to happen in Estepona. The whale is currently drawing crowds of onlookers to Rada beach.