A report came in of a dead sperm whale trapped in a cove on the northern tip of Shetland's mainland in a very remote corner of the islands. Hillswick Wildlife Sanctuary, which rescues, rehabilitates and releases seals and otters in Shetland, were called out to investigate by the Scottish Marine Animal Strandings Scheme, which monitors marine mammal strandings throughout Scotland to ascertain the general health and well being of the marine environment and marine mammals in particular. The male sperm whale had been dead for some time and was floating at the foot of sheer 40 metre high cliffs, so it was impossible to reach it to take samples. However HWS took this video of the whale on Monday 15 May 2017. Sperm whales occasionally strand on Shetland, and in 2000 the skeleton of a sperm whale was preserved and reassembled and is on display on the island of Vaila. The cause of death of this whale will never be known, but it will probably remain in the cove providing food for birds and marine creatures until t decomposes and sinks to the bottom of the sea.