Experts are trying to help a 26ft (8m) minke whale found on a North Sea beach today.
The whale is alive but in a poor condition in Druridge Bay, Northumberland, the British Divers Marine Life Rescue charity said.
"We have people down there at the moment and a local vet is on her way," said the spokeswoman.
"It is not looking in very good shape and it is incredibly thin.
"We will wait until the vet is down there and then we will take it from there."
The charity's website says it is "dedicated to the rescue and well-being of all marine animals in distress around the UK".
The minke whale is unlikely to survive, Stephen Marsh, the charity's operations director, said.
"We have a vet on the scene and we are looking at the options," he said.
"We don't think it is viable for a refloat. It is too thin, it hasn't got any muscle on it at all, and the last thing we do is put an animal back in the sea that's likely to suffer and come back again."
Mr Marsh, speaking from the BDMLR headquarters in Uckfield, Sussex, said what happens next is in the hands of the vets.
