Story By: Ana Lacasa, Sub Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Central European News

Video Credit: CEN/jmqjdesiari

This is the moment rescuers try to move the body of a huge stranded whale on a popular Majorcan beach after it apparently died from swallowing plastic.

The fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus), the largest species after the blue whale, became stranded on the beach of Cala Millor in the island of Majorca in the eastern Spanish region of the Balearic Islands.

Video Credit: CEN/@Cruzdeivid85

According to reports, the whale was around 15 metres (49 feet) long and weighed six tonnes.

Residents spotted the huge mammal around 10.30pm on 26th January and it died early the next day at 4am.

Experts say that the cause of death was plastic ingestion.

Picture Credits: CEN/@Cruzdeivid85 & CEN/jmqjdesiari

When rescuers arrived at the scene, the fin whale was still alive but had breathing difficulties and was also bleeding, according to reports.

The Spanish Civil Guard and environmental workers tried to move the mammal’s enormous carcass with a crane to carry out an autopsy, but the whale was too large and officials decided to cordon off an area of the beach to carry out tests.

Experts are waiting for the results to confirm whether the large fin whale died from plastic ingestion, as suspected.

Local residents flocked to the beach to offer assistance, with many of them uploading footage of the incident to social media.

The investigation continues.