Large-scale operation to remove 25-metre whale washed ashore in northern Spain

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The 30-tonne cetacean was spotted off the coast of O Porriño on Saturday

H. Rodríguez

A Coruña

Wednesday, 17 December 2025, 14:42

A huge operation swung into action in Galicia in the north of Spain on 13 December, when a 25-metre-long whale was found washed ashore off the coast of A Coruña. The 30-tonne cetacean was finally removed on Tuesday, in a process in which dozens of people and technical means were involved.

The enormous size of the cetacean posed risks for the boats in the area of O Porriño, so the authorities proceeded to tow it ashore. Lifting it to the dock required two large cranes. Once out of the water, the body had to be cut up with chainsaws and huge knives for it to be transferred to a processing centre specialising in this type of waste.

It wasn't an easy task. The first piece was too big to fit into the trailer that was to transport it, so it had to be returned to land to be cut into smaller pieces. The operation also provided samples for scientific purposes.

In recent years, more and more cetaceans of different species have been appearing off the Galician coast. In the whole of last year, the regional Revargal network counted nearly 700, more than double the annual average between 1990 and 2022. According to initial estimates, the O Porriño whale would be the largest specimen found in the area so far.