Killer whale found dead on England beach with just plastic in its empty stomach

The first killer whale to be stranded on a beach in Britain in nearly 20 years was tragically found with an empty stomach full of plastic.

The young, 15ft long Orca was found dead, trapped in salt marshes in The Wash off the east coast of England.

Scientists are now working to determine which population the animal came from, while its teeth have been collected to assess its age.

A killer whale has been found stranded in the Wash in early January 2020

It is the first orca stranding in England or Wales that the Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme, working with the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), has investigated since 2001.

There is a small group of orcas that lives around the west coast of the UK, according to The Wildlife Trusts. It’s unclear until tests are complete where this orca lived before he tragically died on The Wash.

It’s unclear yet just what the whale died of, but the presence of so much plastic in its stomach is troubling news for the environment.

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