A huge rotting whale carcass washed up on the Fife coast is likely to remain there for several months.
Locals and walkers are being warned to expect strong smells and unpleasant odours along the Fife Coastal Path close to where the fin whale remains.
The 17m-long mammal beached at a remote spot close to Culross in January.
‘Train warning’
Several disposal options had been considered, including towing the whale back out to sea or burying it, after rising tides failed to dislodge the animal.
However, Fife Coast and Countryside Trust (FCCT), which coordinates cetacean strandings, opted to allow it to decompose naturally.
The trust says the carcass, still covered in flesh, is now in an advanced state of decomposition.
With the only access to the whale via a rugged stretch of coastline, it also reiterated its warning for the public not to cross the train line.
Sightseers caught accessing the whale via the train tracks could be fined up to £1,000.
Robbie Blyth, head of operations at Fife Coast and Countryside Trust, said: “The fin whale carcass remains in the same location since its stranding, however, it has moved away from the railway embankment due to the tide.
‘Carcass smell’
“It’s in the advanced stages of decomposition which enriches the coastal environment with nutrients.
“It also provides an important food source for wildlife.
“The public will notice a smell if close to the carcass while walking the Fife Coastal Path in the nearest vicinity.
“We will continue to monitor that.
“Walkers are reminded that it is an offence to cross the railway line to look at the carcass.”
Fin whales, also known as finback whales, can grow to as long as 20 metres and have a lifespan of up to 90 years.
They are the second-biggest mammal on Earth after the blue whale.
Conversation