A MINKE whale has been found dead at Dancing Ledge in Purbeck.

The four metre-long whale is believed to be a young female though the remains were badly decomposed making it impossible to determine how it died.

All whales are protected by law and the Minke whale is the most common whale, though rarely spotted off Dorset.

Adults grow up to 10 metres long and they are distributed around the world though more commonly sighted in cooler waters, around the British Isles, Iceland and western Norway.

Peter Tinsley of Purbeck marine wildlife reserve at Kimmeridge said: "Most sightings tend to be further north, off the west coast of Scotland and in the Irish Sea.

"They are rarely seen off Dorset - though that doesn't mean they are not there."

Some three or four years ago, a young Minke whale was found dead near Kimmeridge and conservationists feared its chances of survival would be hampered by members of the public eager to get close up.

Anyone sighting dolphins, whales and other coastal wildlife is reminded that these are wild animals and, though it may be tempting, they should not attempt to get close.

A Minke whale was found stranded on the Isle of Wight earlier this year and one was spotted in Portland Harbour just before Christmas.