Seven whales have now died after getting stuck near the Kent coast.

The whales were part of a pod that became stranded on the mudflats in the Swale Estuary off Seasalter on Monday.

Members of the British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) organisation have been at the scene almost constantly since the mammals were seen to be in difficulty between Whitstable and the Isle of Sheppey, but have been unable to reach the whales across the mud.

Yesterday, only four of the whales had been reported as dead but the total has risen overnight.

A BDMLR spokesman said today: “It's been a very difficult situation that is still ongoing.

“Due to the location of the incident, it's been almost impossible to confirm the number of animals involved, but from what we have been able to see, we believe there to have been 11 pilot whales in total.

“Out of the 11 animals, we know that two are now swimming freely and have not been seen to re-strand.

“Seven we know to be deceased, one of which is currently being examined by the Cetacean Stranding Investigation Programme from ZSL.

“The remaining two whales are currently unreachable, so we have not been able to confirm their status.”

The spokesman said: “We are very grateful for the ongoing support of HM Coastguard.

“While BDMLR's main focus has been on the stranded whales and their welfare, the safety of all volunteers and members of the public has to be put first.

“Therefore, we ask that there is minimal disturbance in the area, on land and in the air, to allow the relevant organisations to continue their work.”

Birdwatcher Mark Chidwick was the first to capture the whales on video at around 2pm on Monday when just the tops of their fins were visible above the water line.

He had gone with his friend Mike Gould to The Sportsman pub at Seasalter to view the Brent Geese in the Swale.

Mr Chidwick said: “I was scanning the geese and I picked up on the whales on the edge of the Swale. We watched them, but thought it was strange as the tide was dropping.

“You could see they were getting distressed. We posted what was happening online as best as we could and got in contact with the correct people.”

Pilot whales, which can be found worldwide, are one of the largest oceanic dolphins and are only exceeded in size by orcas.

It is not the first time whales have become stranded in the Swale.

In 2020, a sperm whale died two days after it was first spotted off the Whitstable coast.