A dead humpback whale washed up on a beach in Northumberland, United Kingdom.

The dead humpback whale was spotted between Danstanburge Castle and Craster earlier this week, said local news agencies.

2 humpback whales have been sighted in the North Sea earlier this month, 1 was dead, and the other was severely injured.

The person who saw the dead whale believes this is the same whale that was spotted last week in Whitley Bay.

The humpback whale was also spotted at North Shields last week.

Experts will carry out tests to find out how the humpback whale passed away.

Arrangements are now being made to remove the humpback whale from the scene.

The Howick Coastguard Rescue Team released a statement about the incident.

The statement said, “We would like to take this opportunity to urge people NOT to come to the location to view the whale. The whale is partially decomposed and poses a very significant risk to health to anybody who approaches it.”

The statement added, “Chemicals such as putrescine and cadaverine leak out of these mammals with a particularly noxious smell and, as they are oil based they stick to your body. Harmful bacteria will be present which can cause serious illness. The whale is also on slippery, uneven rocks and this also poses a significant fall risk for anyone walking across them and then putting rescuers at risk.”

In 2017, 1000 whales, porpoises, and whales were stranded on the coastline of the United Kingdom. The numbers in 2017 were the highest ever in any year since records began.

From 2011 to 2017, over 4800 have died on coastal and beach areas.

Experts from the Zoological Society of London believe that the deaths were caused by fishing, plastic, and diseases.