Minke Whale washed up in Gower
© Ben BorehamMinke Whale washed up in Gower
Coastguards were called after a dead Minke whale was discovered washed up on a Gower beach.

They were alerted after the huge mammal was found at Oxwich Bay on Sunday night.

Members of Oxwich Coastguard were called out at 6.55pm to confirm the species.

A coastguard spokesman said: "Oxwich coastguard were down there.

"They went to see what it was and we got in touch with other authorities and it got taken out of our hands.

"It just confirmed it was a Minke whale."

The huge mammal was found at Oxwich Bay
© Ben BorehamThe huge mammal was found at Oxwich Bay
They helped to ensure that the public stayed away from the creature to allow for an autopsy to be carried out.

The Minke whale is known to be the smallest of the baleen whales found in UK waters and measures between seven to 10 metres when fully grown.

It is expected to live between 40 to 50 years.

They are most often found from the tropics to the ice edges in the northern hemisphere and are frequently spotted in coastal and in-shore waters around the Hebrides from April to October.

The Minke whale can swim at speeds of up to 13mph and generally travel the seas alone but sometimes can be seen in feeding groups of up to 10.

In a Facebook post on Monday, the Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme (CSIP), said: "A freshly dead minke whale was also reported yesterday at Oxwich Bay on the Gower peninsula in Wales.

"The CSIP are assessing whether and how an examination of this whale might take place."