The giant mammal is understood to have turned up on the sand at Hemsby, near Great Yarmouth, sometime on the evening of Thursday, July 23.

Dan Goldsmith, of the Marine and Wildlife Rescue, has identified the creature as a minke whale.

SuppliedThe minke whale washed ashore in Hemsby (Image: Supplied)

The discovery came after several videos of a whale in the sea near the village were posted last week.

Great Yarmouth Borough Council (GYBC) urged villagers to avoid the carcass at the time.

Now the council has confirmed the whale has been removed after being loaded on to a trailer on Monday evening following four days on the sand.

A spokesman for GYBC said: “The dead whale which washed up at Hemsby was safely removed from the beach after being carefully loaded on to a trailer on Monday evening.

SuppliedThe whale was on the beach for four days (Image: Supplied)

“The work was carried out by the council’s company, GYS, working with the Hemsby Lifeboat team.

“The animal will now be transported for disposal.

“We’d like to thank the public for keeping their distance while the work was carried out.”

The whale is one of several which have washed up around the shores of Norfolk over the years.

In June 2023, a minke whale washed up on Old Hunstanton beach and in December 2019, a dead 30ft minke whale was found at Heacham.