A pair of unusual discoveries have been made on Cumbria’s coastline.

Whitehaven Coastguard rescue team was called to Harrington by CGOC Belfast after reports of what was believed to be a beached whale washed up.

On arrival the team believed the grim discovery was a bottle nose dolphin, which was measured and passed to Belfast Coastguard.

A report of the find was also submitted to the National History Museum and the Receiver of Wrecks, due to the Queen owning all of the country’s dolphins.

The Cetacean Strandings investigation programme has now reported back to the coastguard that their discovery was in fact a Sowerby’s beaked whale, which is an animal not commonly seen in the wild.

There was better news about a seal pup found stranded near Seascale.

Peter Gilbert, who discovered the pup, contacted British Divers Marine Life Rescue who came out within hours to recover it.

It is now at Stapeley Grange RSPCA for rehabilitation.

Dr Emily Baxter, senior marine conservation officer at Cumbria Wildlife Trust, said: “The whale is quite unusual because it’s a rarer species you don’t see in our waters very often.

“It looks very fresh so it’s possible that it may have been stranded while it was alive.

“The seals are more common and we’ve had three of those wash up over the last couple of weeks.

“That’s probably because they’ve just had the pupping season in June and July so there are baby seals who are a bit lost and away from their mothers.”

Two baby seals were rescued in a week off the Furness coast last month.

If you find stranded animals on the coast, keep other people and dogs away and report it using www.livingseasnw.org.uk/marine-life/sightings-strandings/report-stranded-animal