A DEAD whale has been found washed up on the shoreline in Inverkip.

The massive marine mammal was found beached at Kip Marina just after noon today.

A passer-by contacted the coastguard after initially fearing it was a capsized boat.

But when the lifeboat and coastguard teams arrived they realised it was in fact a whale.

As a result, teams from Police Scotland, Inverclyde Council, the Scottish SPCA and the Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme attended the scene.

A cordon is in place around whale before it is removed from the scene tomorrow.

A spokesman for the coastguard said: “Someone phoned us as they thought that a boat had capsized.

“When our crews arrived they discovered it was a big Minke whale that had died.

“We notified all the relevant teams and the police cordoned the area off.

“The whale has been secured before it is taken away tomorrow.”

Sergeant Bob Adam of Greenock Police it was a joint operation.

He said: “We cordoned off the whale for public safety.

“A marine biologist will analyse the whale before it is removed from the area.”