Dead whale washes up on popular beach in Kanagawa Pref.

KAMAKURA, Kanagawa -- A dead whale about 10 meters long was found on the popular Yuigahama Beach here on Aug. 5, local government officials said.

A person noticed the whale at around 2:30 p.m. and reported it to the police. The prefectural and municipal governments confirmed that the creature was dead.

According to the city and other authorities, the animal was from the baleen whale family. The body was badly decomposed and the cause of death is unknown.

(Japanese original by Kenetsu Inaba, Kamakura Local Bureau)