Rotting Whale Carcass Closes Barcelona Beach

This is the moment a sperm whale’s rotting corpse floats off the coast of a Spanish resort prompting authorities to close the beach and stop tourists from swimming there.

Civil Protection officials closed Varador Beach in the town of Mataro in the north-eastern Spanish province of Barcelona after discovering the dead sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) in an advanced stage of decomposition.

Reports said that the whale was first spotted at around 3.56pm on 11th August while the beach was busy with families and tourists.

The authorities raised the red flag, but beachgoers continued swimming in the sea because they initially thought that it was just a big plastic bag, according to local media.

Meanwhile, Civil Protection officials and members of the Local Police arrived on the scene to manage the situation.

Reports said that it is the second dead whale to wash up near the coast of Mataro in the last four years.

According to the Civil Protection, the beach has remained closed and swimming has been banned while the local authorities test the water and sand.

They also confirmed that the sperm whale’s carcass was removed from the coast.

A Mataro council spokeswoman told Central European News (CEN): “The area where the whale’s body was found has been cordoned off and tests have been carried out on the beach’s water and sand, we are still waiting for the results.”