Beachgoers were shocked after this enormous sperm whale washed up on the sand.

The 40ft ( 12 metres) long creature appeared on the beach in Sarangani, the Philippines yesterday (24/11) morning.

Residents in Gumasa Beach had arrived to go swimming in the sea when they saw the bloodied sperm whale lying on the shore.

It was already in a state of decomposition when it was discovered and is believed to have washed up in the early hours of the morning.

Local resident Ronnel Otero said they first noticed a weird smell when they arrived.

He said: "We didn't know it was a dead whale at first. We called the village officials for help.

''It was so big, I was surprised at how big it was. I didn't feel like going swimminga afterwards.''

The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources removed the carcass and said they will do an autopsy on the whale to find its cause of death.