A sperm whale has beached on Skógasandur beach in Southern Iceland. The whale is on the property of Ytri-Skógar, a short distance from Skógafoss waterfall, the popular landmark, the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service Reports.
The carcass is of a relatively large male, as the females don‘t swim this far north. The whale has been measured as fifteen metres long. Sperm Whales don‘t grow to much more than 16-17 metres.
Historically beached whales were celebrated by local farmers, as they provided valuable meat and blubber. Now beached whales are less welcome, as the stench from the rotting carcass can be a nuisance. Beached whales are by law the property and responsibility of the landowner who owns the beach.
The landowner at Skógasandur has had the jaw of the whale removed, as artwork can be carved from the teeth. The rest of the whale, however, will be left to nature.The final resting ground of the whale will either be the black sands of southern Iceland or the depths, as the strong currents and heavy surf might take the carcass back to sea.
The carcass is partially buried in sand, and is accessible. A trail leads down the beach, but travellers are strongly advised not to try to drive too far into the beach or too close to the whale, as cars can very easily get stuck in the wet and loose sand.
A sperm whale has beached on Skógasandur beach in Southern Iceland. The whale is on the property of Ytri-Skógar, a short distance from Skógafoss waterfall, the popular landmark, the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service Reports.
The carcass is of a relatively large male, as the females don‘t swim this far north. The whale has been measured as fifteen metres long. Sperm Whales don‘t grow to much more than 16-17 metres.
Historically beached whales were celebrated by local farmers, as they provided valuable meat and blubber. Now beached whales are less welcome, as the stench from the rotting carcass can be a nuisance. Beached whales are by law the property and responsibility of the landowner who owns the beach.
The landowner at Skógasandur has had the jaw of the whale removed, as artwork can be carved from the teeth. The rest of the whale, however, will be left to nature.The final resting ground of the whale will either be the black sands of southern Iceland or the depths, as the strong currents and heavy surf might take the carcass back to sea.
The carcass is partially buried in sand, and is accessible. A trail leads down the beach, but travellers are strongly advised not to try to drive too far into the beach or too close to the whale, as cars can very easily get stuck in the wet and loose sand.
