A DEAD harbour porpoise that washed up on an Aberystwyth beach could have died of “heat exhaustion”, experts have said.

The harbour porpoise, which is one of the smallest marine mammals and a relative of the dolphin, washed up on the tide at the far end on Aberystwyth’s North Beach below the Glengower Hotel last night.

Rod Penrose, Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme (CSIP) strandings co-ordinator for Wales, confirmed that it was a harbour porpoise that was washed up, and that he had been in contact with Ceredigion council this morning to dispose of the body.

Mr Penrose added that no investigation or post-mortem would be carried out as the harbour porpoise was a “little too decomposed to get the maximum information from it”.

Natural Resources Wales said the incident had not been reported to them, and that it “is not an issue for NRW to investigate”.

An NRW spokesperson said the porpoise could have died due to “heat exhaustion or a marine fisheries issue” but that it “can’t speculate on any potential cause".

Reports of stranded whales, porpoises or dolphins should be made to the Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme on 0800 652 0333 or via email at [email protected]