A rare deep-sea whale washed up on a Weymouth beach.

The Sowerby Beaked Whale washed ashore just north of Smallmouth Bay.

It is just the eight time one has been found in UK waters.

These reclusive deep-sea dwellers usually occupy the North Atlantic and are rarely spotted in the UK. They can measure up to 5.5 metres in length.

On Saturday, November 2, British Divers Marine Life Rescue enlisted the help of the Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy to aid in the recovery of the animal. Moving it from where it washed up near Smallmouth Beach to the sailing academy.

(Image: Weymouth & Portland National Training Academy)

It will be studied by scientists from London Zoo, to find its cause of death and why it came so close to shore.

Jonathan Tweedle, CEO of the Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy, said: "An interesting morning for some of the WPNSA Staff, as we worked with the British Divers Marine Life Rescue to recover a sadly deceased Sowerby Beaked Whale that came ashore just north of Smallmouth Bay.

(Image: Weymouth & Portland National Training Academy)

"These whales are deep-sea dwellers, and this will be only the eighth time in history that one has been found in British waters. Scientists from London Zoo will be examining the whale in order to try and find out the cause of death, and why it came so close to shore."

(Image: Weymouth & Portland National Training Academy)

Sowerby’s beaked whales are a deep-diving species that favour habitats far offshore out at the edge of the continental shelf and beyond, where they can dive to over 2,000m on a single breath in search of their favoured prey, squid.

They are found in the Atlantic from the sub-Arctic down to northern Africa. Sowerby’s beaked whales frequent offshore waters to the west of the UK and Ireland and are only usually seen from boats. It is very unusual to see them from land.

They capture their prey by suction feeding, using the throat grooves to quickly expand the oral cavity to suck prey into their mouths.

The shape of their nose means they are sometimes confused with dolphins.