Coastguards were called to reports of a beached whale off the north coast of Cornwall, only to find a submerged rock.
The authority said the concerned member of the public who raised the alarm did the right thing, as it could have been a real emergency if a whale had been in trouble, Cornwall Live has reported .
Bude Coastguard Rescue Team were paged at 7.38pm on Friday, April 19 and hurried out to the supposed creature in difficulty in Widemouth Bay.
Whales are uncommon but not unheard of – at least three humpback whales have been sighted this year along the west coast of Cornwall.
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A spokesman for Bude Coastguard said: “On meeting with the first informant, it quickly became obvious that the ‘whale’ in question was actually a well-known rock, known locally as camel rock.
“With the very calm and high springtide, the silhouettes of the rock did, indeed, resemble a large floating object.
“The team would much rather be called to a false alarm with good intent them not be called to a real emergency, so please do not hesitate to call 999 and ask for the coastguard if you have the slightest inkling that something might be wrong or that someone may be in danger.”
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The team had been called out earlier that same day following reports of a missing five-year-old boy on Northcott Beach.
As the team gathered to begin a search, they were informed that the boy had been found safe and well.
