Beach-goers have been warned to stay away from a Kent seafront after a dead whale washed up on the shore.

The large aquatic creature – thought to be 30ft long – was found yesterday evening in St Mary’s Bay, Romney Marsh.

A zoologist that carried out a post-mortem examination confirmed it was of the humpback species. Passers-by estimated the creature to be up to 10 metres long.

Witness Paul Crawford says he visited the beach at about 5.30 pm yesterday and was stunned to see the lifeless whale.

“I felt humbled to see it,” he said.

“But I also felt a bit of sadness. They’re such beautiful and amazing animals.”

In a statement, HM Coastguard said: “The Romney Marsh Coastguard Rescue Team was tasked to an object floating on the water edge at St Marys Bay.

“Once the object had been located it was confirmed to be a deceased whale. Further investigations were carried out to record statistics of the animal for future analysis.

“Today a zoologist attended to carry out a post-mortem and take various samples. He managed to confirm that it was a juvenile humpback whale.”

“Possible further investigations will take place to determine how best to remove the animal from the beach.

“In the meantime, it is strongly advised NOT to venture out to the animal due to the deep mud (otherwise known as quicksand) between the animal and the shoreline.”

Adult humpback whales can be from 14–17 m (46–56 ft) long and weigh up to 40 metric tonnes (39.4 imperial tons). There are 135,000 of them in the world and they are not considered endangered species.

It is understood the whale will be disposed of after the relevant parties – namely the Marine Coastguard Agency – take samples from the animal.

A Folkestone & Hythe District Council spokesperson said: We’re aware of the deceased beached whale at St Mary’s Bay. Residents and visitors are advised to stay away from the dead mammal while investigations and its removal are arranged.”

Earlier this year, a Minke whale was found dead in Stangate Creek, near the Isle of Sheppey.

And in December, a Minke had been seen swimming inside Dover Harbour, the second such sighting off the Kent coast in a week.

In autumn 2018 a beluga whale nicknamed Benny swam around the Gravesend area of the River Thames for months as there was plenty of food available in the waters, capturing the heart of sea-life lovers.

There is some confusion about who will be responsible for clearing up the body – with no group yet claiming the role.

The discovery of the dead whale comes on a part of Kent’s beaches which has seen multiple issues and warnings over its water quality in recent times.

The Environment Agency says its June warning for St Mary’s Bay is likely to stay all summer because of poor water quality.

A year-long warning was announced in February after the discovery of unsafe levels of bacteria in the water.

Monitoring by the Environment Agency had revealed heightened traces of intestinal enterococci, found in faecal matter.

A spokesman for the Environment Agency (EA) previously told KentOnline: “We continue to work with our partners to fully investigate the reasons for the decline in bathing water quality at St Mary’s Bay.”