Stranded whale shark dies in China

A 3,000 kilogram whale shark stranded in the Pearl River Delta in southern China's Guangdong Province died shortly after it was spotted by fishermen on Tuesday.

The six-metre-long shark had been seen swimming slowly several days earlier by local fishermen, who suspected it had lost its way and was suffering as a result of unsuitable water conditions.

Surprised residents said it was unusual for this type of shark to swim in such shallow waters.

(SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) UNIDENTIFIED FISHERMAN SAYING:

"We have never seen this kind of fish in this area. We have seen many sharks, small ones, but we have never seen a fish like this."

Fishermen used cranes to move the heavy carcass.

The whale shark's body was taken to a nearby orchard for burial, where it was laid on ice to slow down decomposition.

Whale sharks are one of the largest existing species of fish, reaching up to 12 metres in length and often weighing about 20 tonnes.

Travis Brecher, Reuters