Marine experts say a whale stranded on a beach in Pembrokeshire has been put to sleep because it was dying.
The creature - thought to be a pilot whale - was seen entering the Milford Haven waterway on Wednesday and beached itself several miles up the estuary.
Local people waded in to refloat the mammal but it was later found grounded near Llanstadwell, Neyland.
Experts who assessed the whale said they put the creature to sleep as there was no hope of saving it.
The whale is approx 4m (13ft) in length and was stranded on a mudbank.
Swimming upstreamEarly reports suggested it was a minke whale but wildlife experts now believe it is a smaller pilot whale.
Cliff Benson, of the Sea Trust charity, said: "The whale was reported to us by staff at the LNG oil refinery who spotted it swimming upstream.
"If it was a minke whale it would weigh up to 15 tonnes and would be very difficult to refloat.
"My guess is that it is a pilot whale - but even then it could be a very big animal."
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