A TEN-metre long sperm whale has died after becoming stranded on rocks between Beadnell and Seahouses on Monday.
The mammal, which experts think weighed about 20 tonnes, is thought to have suffered dehydration after losing its way.
The British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) said the whale was alive for a time, but could not be saved as the tide was going out.
Sperm whales are the deepest diving mammal and the largest toothed of all whales, feeding on squid and other large deep water fish. They can grow up to 18 metres in length and weigh up to 50 tonnes.
COASTGUARD staff were asked last night to remove the teeth and lower jawbone of a washed up whale after it was targeted by trophy- hunters.
The 10-metre-long male sperm whale was discovered just off a beach near Beadnell, Northumberland early on Monday morning.
The coastguards are aware local people and others from outside Northumberland hope to get a tooth from the whale as a souvenir or to sell it.
Three men from County Durham travelled to the beach at around 3am yesterday seemingly intent on removing teeth.
They were, however, stopped by a cordon being manned by a coastguard team from Seahouses, set up because the carcass is property of the Crown and anything removed from it is regarded as theft.
I loved the comments from Wife in the North's Blog...........
The reports say they were souvenir hunters - perhaps they were just really unlucky tooth fairies. "What job have you got?" "That cutie-pie with the curly blonde hair asleep over there on the pink Princess pillow. What's yours?" "I've got that 25 tonne rotting whale carcass on the Northumberland coast. Swapsies?"
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