Whale emerges from the depths of Cornish field

THE giant head of a whale that died after getting stranded in Cornwall has been excavated in the grounds of a university campus.

- LAUREN BEAVIS

The 60ft (20m) female fin whale died after stranding in Parbean Cove in 2020.

Its head was then buried at University of Exeter land in Falmouth to help prepare the bones for study as it is the most natural way to clean them.

The skull has now been excavated in a ten-hour mission, five years after its burial.

Scientist Robbie McDonald, an Honorary Professor at the University of Exeter, said: “It’s fantastic. We didn’t know what to expect after five years underground, but it's come out really clean.

“This skull is a gargantuan reminder of what we can do to improve the marine environment.”

Back in February 2020, the giant marine mammal - the second largest cetacean species after the blue whale - beached at the mouth of the Helford river.