Abbotsbury: Shock as dolphin washes up on Chesil Beach

Residents reported seeing a marine mammal that washed ashore on Chesil Beach at Abbotsbury this morning.

It is whale-like in appearance but has actually been confirmed by experts as being a Risso’s dolphin.

Members of the public have been advised to keep a safe distance away and keep dogs in leads as cetaceans can carry harmful diseases.

Gill Morrison, who was on the beach with her son Dan who took pictures of the washed up creature, said: “I was walking on Chesil beach accessed by the beach café at Abbotsbury and there is a very dead mammal there the size of a large calf.

“Lots of fisherman and dog walkers were walking by and didn’t report it. My son Dan tried to call to report it to no avail, he found an email address reported the finding and sent photos and pin of the location.

“We wanted to raise attention of this not only out of respect for the animal but also as a matter of public safety as it looks like it has been there a while.”

Erich Hoyt, Bridport resident and author Encyclopedia of Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises and Strange Sea Creatures, said: “The beached individual is a Risso’s dolphin, one of the resident whales and dolphins in the Western English Channel Important Marine Mammal Area (IMMA).

“This looks like a younger animal, dead for some time. You can see that it has lost most of its dorsal fin but at least one flipper is still intact. It may have been beached in the recent storms.”

Residents have reported seeing a whale-like creature which washed up along Chesil Beach. It is actually a Risso’s dolphin (Image: Dan Morrison)

A spokesperson for the Dorset Wildlife Trust said: “Whilst it’s never nice to see a dead dolphin washed up on the beach it’s still important to report these strandings. It has been reported to us, and we have notified the Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme (CSIP) who keep a national strandings database to help get a better understanding of what species are found around the UK and their distribution. In some cases, the carcass may be retrieved by CSIP so that they can carry out further examinations to try and identify any factors that may have contributed to its death but that can depend on the species and state of decomposition.

“If anybody encounters a dead dolphin, it’s advisable to stay a safe distance away and keep dogs on leads as cetaceans can carry harmful diseases.”

A spokesperson for the British Divers Marine Life Rescue said this appears to be a Risso’s dolphin, as there looks to be evidence of teeth.

“They can appear deceptively large and whale-like when stranded, particularly in advanced stages of decomposition like the individual.

“If the stranding has not yet been reported to the UK Cetacean Stranding Investigation Programme (CSIP), we would recommend doing so directly to ensure it is logged and assessed appropriately.” said a spokesperson.

null (Image: Dan Morrison)

A spokesperson for HM Coastguard said: “HM Coastguard is currently responding to reports of a suspected deceased cetacean at Chesil Beach, Dorset.”

A spokesperson for Dorset Council said: “Chesil beach is Crown Estate and not an area we are responsible for. This should be reported to UK Cetacean Stranding Investigation Programme.”