TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – A three-meter sperm whale was stranded on the beach by Kaohsiung’s Keziliao Harbor on Sunday.

A Coast Guard inspection station reported the sperm whale around 8:50 a.m. The Ocean Conservation Administration deployed a team of rescuers, who stabilized the whale and kept it moisturized, per CNA.

The sperm whale was in obvious distress, experiencing shallow, rapid breathing. Personnel confirmed it showed no signs of life at 10:30 a.m.

Sperm whales, predatory by nature, are the largest of the toothed whale cetaceans. Their oversized, block-shaped heads make them adept at diving to depths of 800 meters in search of food.

The Coast Guard said the stranding was located in a restricted military area. This made it difficult for heavy machinery to arrive, with numerous obstacles such as wave-breaking blocks affecting transportation.

The dead sperm whale was moved manually and through winch towing onto a transport vehicle to National Cheng Kung University. The Coast Guard said that the National Cheng Kung University Cetacean Center and the National Taiwan University Veterinary Hospital will jointly perform an autopsy to clarify the cause of the stranding and death.