A YOUNG sperm whale found on an Edinburgh beach may have been hit by a boat in deeper water, according to a marine expert.

The dead 13.8-metre (45ft) whale was discovered at Portobello beach near Joppa's Rockville Hotel at around 7:30am yesterday.

Corinne Gordon, a marine mammal medic who examined the whale, said it had suffered deep cuts around its mouth and to its dorsal fin. She said: "It has possibly been hit by a boat or propellers and that has caused severe damage. It has been dead for some time."