Dead whale sparks alarm in Wick Bay
A DEAD whale in Wick Bay sparked an alarm on Sunday morning.
Wick RNLI lifeboat Roy Barker II was diverted from an exercise after receiving reports of a suspected overturned vessel. The lifeboat was two miles north of Noss Head when the call came in and quickly made its way back to Wick to investigate.
On arrival at the scene there was what appeared to be a large oil slick and a vessel lying low in the water. However, on approaching the object it was found to be a dead minke whale drifting in the tide.
The slick was being caused by fluids oozing from its carcass, which was being kept afloat by its inflated air sac.
The crew attached a rope to the whale and towed it out to sea to minimise the risk of it being washed ashore somewhere on the coast.
It appeared as if the whale had become entangled in creel ropes and had drowned.