A baby blue whale washed up on the shores of Japan, about 40 miles south of Tokyo on Sunday.
According to Reuters, the whale was found dead on the shores of Yuigahama Beach in Kamakura City, measured about 32 feet in length.
鎌倉の海岸に漂着したクジラは #シロナガスクジラ とみられることが分かりました。全国で初めてだそうです。#由比ガ浜
写真特集で→https://t.co/y5EQ0HXUGH pic.twitter.com/NmwSpAMFCx— 毎日新聞写真部 (@mainichiphoto) August 6, 2018
WASHED UP: Beach goers discovered a dead blue whale washed up on a beach near Tokyo, Japan. Local experts say the size of the endangered mammal indicates it was born this year. Cause of death is still unknown. https://t.co/POUzRJfmVt pic.twitter.com/XCQcfZRmX8
— World News Tonight (@ABCWorldNews) August 6, 2018
The whale is still there. They were taking measurements this morning, and will bury it later today. Asked a fisherwoman obaachan if this had ever happened before — nope, not that she recalled. Nothing this big. pic.twitter.com/VxTjJrV6jW
— Kamakura By The Sea (@Kamakura_By_Sea) August 5, 2018
The field survey by the experts of the National Science Museum state that the whale was a baby born this year. However, the cause of death is still unknown.
On average, an adult blue whales grow to about 100 feet long and weighs 200 tons.
The practice of whaling was stopped in 1966, however blue whales are still endangered and have been given protected status, according to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
They were the main target of the 20th century, adds WWF.