Undated handout photo issued by East Lothian Council Countryside Rangers of a juvenile humpback whale that has been found washed up dead on a beach in East Lothian, Scotland. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Issue date: Tuesday April 23, 2019. The 30ft-long marine mammal was discovered on Tuesday morning at John Muir Country Park, near Tyningham. See PA story ANIMALS Whale. Photo credit should read: East Lothian Council Countryside Rangers/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.
The humpback whale appeared to have become tangled up in rope (Picture: PA)

A juvenile humpback whale has become the latest victim of man’s inability to keep the oceans clean.

The young whale’s carcass was found washed up on a beach in Scotland after apparently becoming entangled in rope.

The 30ft creature was discovered on the shoreline at John Muir Country Park in Dunbar, East Lothian.

People were urged to avoid the whale and stay away from the area until it was removed to undergo a post-mortem examination.

A spokesman for East Lothian Council said: ‘It is nine metres long and considered to be a juvenile at that length.’

Undated handout photo issued by East Lothian Council Countryside Rangers of a juvenile humpback whale that has been found washed up dead on a beach in East Lothian, Scotland. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Issue date: Tuesday April 23, 2019. The 30ft-long marine mammal was discovered on Tuesday morning at John Muir Country Park, near Tyningham. See PA story ANIMALS Whale. Photo credit should read: East Lothian Council Countryside Rangers/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.
A post-mortem examination is yet to take place but it is believed the rope was to blame (Picture: PA)
A nine metre humpback whale found washed up on the beach at John Muir Country Park, Dunbar, East Lothian. April 23 2019. See SWNS story SWSCwhale. A humpback whale carcass measuring nine metres long washed up on a beach. The juvenile whale, which appears to only have died a few hours ago, was found on the beach at John Muir Country Park, Dunbar, East Lothian. No cause of death has been established but signs suggested it had been entangled in rope before it died. Walkers have been told to avoid the whale, until it is removed from the beach this afternoon.
The whale was 30ft long, but it has been described as a juvenile (Picture: SWNS)

They added: ‘It may well be towed to another site and possibly a post-mortem examination will be carried out.

Today a report was issued that said one million species are at risk of extinction because of human activity.

Experts have warned that they believe a ‘mass extinction event’ is already under way. There have been just six such events in the last 500 million years.

A nine metre humpback whale found washed up on the beach at John Muir Country Park, Dunbar, East Lothian. April 23 2019. See SWNS story SWSCwhale. A humpback whale carcass measuring nine metres long washed up on a beach. The juvenile whale, which appears to only have died a few hours ago, was found on the beach at John Muir Country Park, Dunbar, East Lothian. No cause of death has been established but signs suggested it had been entangled in rope before it died. Walkers have been told to avoid the whale, until it is removed from the beach this afternoon.
The whale was taken from the scene to undergo tests yesterday afternoon (Picture: SWNS)

‘The level of decomposition is slight, it is considered to be relatively fresh so it probably died within the last two hours or so.

‘There was a whale spotted in the Firth of Forth near Fife that appeared to have a buoy tangled up. This one appeared to have been tangled with some ropes.’

A post on the East Lothian Council Rangers Twitter page said: ‘Unfortunately a dead humpback whale has washed up at John Muir Country Park, Dunbar.

‘Arrangements are being made to remove the whale and people are being advised to keep their distance from the site.’

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