National Trust warning after dead whale found on Co Down coastline

A whale, more commonly seen in the North Atlantic, has been found dead on the outskirts of Bangor's shoreline.

The mammal's carcass has been on the beach at Ballymacormick Point for several days.

The National Trust is urging the public to stay away for health and safety reasons, while it undertakes a "challenging" removal process.

"We have had to temporarily close public access to Ballymacormick Point due to the presence of a dead whale," a post on social media said.

"As this poses a health and safety risk, please follow all signage and avoid the area. As always, dogs should be kept on leads.

"Given the difficulty of the terrain and size of the whale, this is a challenging removal process. We appreciate your understanding and support."

The northern bottlenose dolphin is usually found in pods of between four and 20 whales in the North Atlantic Ocean.

How this one unfortunately ended up here on its own, is not yet known.

Authorities are now in discussions, working out how how to remove the animal from this rugged, protected landscape.

The path is expected to remain closed until a decision comes on what will happen next.

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