TATEYAMA (Reuters) – Drone footage taken on Thursday showed the carcasses of four whales washed up on a beach in central Japan’s Chiba prefecture.
According to local media reports, the whale carcasses were first spotted on the beach on Tuesday.
Several local students appeared to be collecting samples from the carcasses on Thursday.
An expert interviewed by Japan’s Asahi Shimbun said he believed the carcasses belong to sperm whales, which are commonly spotted off the shores of Tateyama city where they washed up.
The Chiba government is currently investigating the matter and plan to dispose of the carcasses via burial or other means, Asahi reported.