Humpback whale freed from illegal net dies one week later after beaching in Spain

A 46ft long humpback whale that “thanked” divers who rescued it from an illegal fishing net has died just days later.

The mammal was spotted three miles off the coast of Mallorca on 20 May, caught in a red net that left it unable to open its mouth.

A team of divers from Palma de Mallorca’s Aquarium helped free the huge creature before sending it on its way,

But one week later on 27 May, the same whale washed up on a beach in Valencia, Spain, some 190 miles away.

Click here to sign up for our newsletters.