Whale death

Beachgoers in Tavira were saddened to find the corpse of a nine metre humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) on Cabanas beach last weekend. The 2.5 ton juvenile (adults reach anything from 12 to 16 metres) had its fins cut and according to authorities had probably been caught up in fishing nets. Said ports captain Ventura Borges, humpback whales are relatively rare in these waters, with records of only five having washed up along Portugal’s coastline.