The bodies of dolphins and porpoises have washed up with alarming frequency along England s south coast in recent days.
Some bear signs of injuries from fishing nets, others are unmarked or too badly decomposed to prove the cause of death.
Last Sunday, a family enjoying the sea air on Cuckmere Haven Beach in Sussex stumbled upon the corpse of a young harbour porpoise with gashes on its body and injuries to its mouth.
Another two of these magnificent mammals were found lying on the shingle of Cooden Beach in Bexhill on Friday morning. One was partly decomposed, the other a much fresher fatality with its tail sliced off.