A dead porpoise that was found washed up on Deal beach has caused interest among experts - not because it looks like a dolphin, but because they have no idea how she could have died.

The female adult was removed by volunteers from the British Divers Marine Life Rescue Lyn Griffiths and Alex Levine on Saturday.

Experts at the Natural History Museum are due to collect her today from Hythe for tests.

Mrs Griffiths, who is the Kent co-ordinator for British Divers, said: “At this time of year we pick up thin ones or very young porpoises that didn’t thrive.”

But this discovery - a 5ft harbour porpoise (Latin name phocoena phocoena) - shows no signs of injury or malnourishment. In fact, she was “quite rotund”.

“It took three of us to lift her,” said Mrs Griffiths.

“It’s quite large so it’s definitely an adult - probably the largest one we’ve ever picked up."

"This is one I’m really interested in hearing about because there is nothing to suggest why she died” - Lyn Griffiths British Divers Marine Life Rescue

Porpoises are very common and are sometimes confused with dolphins by non-experts. But unlike their attention-loving cousins, they are lesser spotted because they don’t perform the elaborate dives and splashes that dolphins do.

It is possible she was washed up in last week’s rough seas, but Mrs Griffiths said they usually survive rough weather.

“This one hasn’t been hit by anything either.

“I wouldn’t want to say what I think it could be but the post mortem will take place this week. This is one I’m really interested in hearing about because there is nothing to suggest why she died,” she said.

On Monday the corpse was being kept in Mrs Griffiths’s garage in Hythe before it was collected on behalf of the Cetaceans Strandings Investigation Programme (CSIP) which will perform the investigation.

A report detailing the findings will be published later this week.

Mrs Griffiths makes up a group of three friends who got involved in marine rescues at the same time. All three, including Alex Levine and Michelle Spain from Deal, are also Coastguards.

As members of British Divers they are called out to deal with porpoises, seal pups, whales and other marine life that is washed up on our shores.

She said: “Most people don’t know about us. They don’t know who to contact when they find something stranded.”

All finds have to be registered and documented because they are classed as Fishes Royal so the Receiver of Wrecks has to be notified. Measurements have to ascertain the length, photographs have to be taken and grid references have to be taken to pinpoint the exact location. And if the creature is of significant (is not too decomposed) then a post mortem is conducted.

• For further reading visit: the British Divers Marine Life Rescue website at: www.bdmlr.org.uk/index.php. The charity holds courses to recruit new volunteers, the next will be held in the spring. See the Mercury for details of the next one.
• For the Cetaceans Strandings Investigation Programme’s site, visit: ukstrandings.org
• RESCUE HOTLINE: 01825 765546 during office hours or 07787 433412 out of office hours.