AMAMI, Kagoshima Pref. (Kyodo) The carcass of a Blainville's beaked whale, a species more often seen in deep waters near the equator, has been found on the shore of Amami-Oshima Island in Kagoshima Prefecture.
A man found the 4.4-meter-long dead whale bearing what appeared to be numerous shark bites on Asani beach Saturday, according to a nearby children's nature center.
Katsuki Oki, a prefectural official for wildlife conservation, said the rare carcass will be valuable for education.
"I hope we can use the skeleton as a teaching resource for children," Oki said.