Sea giants beached
Europe

Sea giants beached

By Pietro Lombardi, for CNN

Updated 1513 GMT (2313 HKT) January 25, 2016
Share
beached whales 1beached whales 1
1 of 7
Three dead sperm whales washed up on a beach in eastern England over the weekend. The whales are thought to have been from the same pod as another animal that was found a few miles away on Friday. Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Europe/Getty Images
The animals are about 15 metres (48 feet) long. Scientists believe they are only a few years old. These cetaceans can be up to 20 metres (67 feet) long and weigh over 50 tons.
Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Europe/Getty Images
Scientists believe the creatures probably got disoriented while looking for food and ended up in shallow waters. Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Europe/Getty Images
The other members of the group are at "considerable risk" of being stranded, experts fear. Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Europe/Getty Images
Scientists will carry out examinations on the bodies. Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Europe/Getty Images
A dozen sperm whales washed ashore on German and Dutch beaches a week before the ones found in England. The animals may have been part of the same group. Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Europe/Getty Images
In January 2006 a northern bottlenose whale swam up the Thames, and got stranded in central London, bringing thousands of people on the banks. The whale died during a rescue attempt. Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images Europe/Getty Images