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A large whale has been found dead on a scenic beach in North Uist.

The 35-feet long mammal was found on Sunday on Baleshare shore, on the west side of North Uist, on Sunday morning.

It is believed to be a female sperm whale.

The dead creature was spotted by local B& B operator Jac Volbeda who operates a guest house in the village.

He said: “I think it came from another beach because the lower jaw is missing  and it has been dead for a while and it wasn't on Baleshare beach on Saturday evening.”

It’s likely the whale was swept into shore by the extremely high Spring tides which gave a maximum four metre difference between high and low water on the north west seaboard of Uist.

But from tomorrow the chances of the whale being washed out to sea decreases as the incoming tides will not reach so far up the shoreline.

Western Isles Council has the responsibility of dealing with the carcass. It if is deemed to cause an environmental hazard it may be forced to crane it onto a lorry and ship it via ferry to the landfill site in Stornoway. Alternatively, it may be left to decompose naturally.

Sperm whales have giant heads and a prominent forehead. They feed on fish and can dive nearly two miles deep to chase squid, holding their breath for up to 90 minutes.

Dead whale washed ashore                          18/4/11