Isle of Wight beach saw fin whale wash up 18 years ago

It was a sad and macabre sight for those at Springvale, near Puckpool, and the smell proved particularly pungent.

The 18-tonne carcass was first spotted six miles off Sandown over the weekend of November 19, 2005.

Its sheer size prompted Solent Coastguard to broadcast 'danger' warnings to ships.

Fin whale washed up on Island beach 18 years ago. (Image: IWCP)

Fishing vessel Horizon attached a line to the whale and dragged it ashore to Springvale with the assistance of Ryde Inshore Lifeboat.

Once the carcass was ashore the coastguard then put out another warning for people to stay away because of the 'extremely unpleasant odour'.

For safety reasons, the IW Council erected a 30-metre cordon around the beached body but that did not stop spectators coming to look.

Police cordon and beached whale in the background. (Image: IWCP)

Whale carcass in the sea (Image: IWCP)

The County Press reported on Islanders holding their nose because of the smell and ran with the front page headline 'death of a giant'.

On Monday, November 20, the whale was put to rest beneath Standen Heath.

The carcass was broken up by contractors and transported by lorry to the tip on the outskirts of Newport.

Members of the public watch the disposal, and have problems with the smell. (Image: IWCP)

Members of the public watch the disposal, and have problems with the smell. (Image: Isle of Wight County Press)

Contractors dispose of whale. (Image: IWCP)

There, it was buried deep in a specially lined pit.

At the time, the most likely explanation as to why the whale died was that it caught a disease.

The bill for the clean-up operation was met by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency's receiver of wreck.