Montevideo - SPA
A dead sperm whale that washed ashore in a beach in Uruguay is expected to be buried soon. The 16-meter (52.5-foot) whale was found Saturday in Carrasco, a beach in Montevideo. Dozens of Navy officials and rescuers used excavators to drag the marine mammal weighing up to 25 tons to shore. The whale's remains rest on the sand ahead of the last part of the removal operation on Monday. Hundreds of curious onlookers are gathering to look at the animal despite an overpowering smell that has overtaken the coast of the residential Montevideo neighborhood, AP reported. Officials say the whale showed no signs of injuries and likely lost its bearings. The sperm whale is the largest of the toothed whales.