A 14ft minke whale has died after becoming stranded in a sea loch in the Outer Hebrides.
Coastguards were alerted this morning by a member of the public who saw the male animal thrashing on rocks in Loch Eport.
It became stuck in a narrow channel with two hours to go before low tide. A local coastguard team attended along with volunteers from the Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme but the whale was confirmed to have died a short time later.
Julia Cable, national coordinator for the British Divers Marine Life Rescue, said the whale had injuries consistent with live stranding, was in good nutritional condition but possibly still maternally dependent.
