A giant sperm whale washed up dead onto the shores of southern Philippines on Saturday.

The huge carcass was found beached along the coast of Jose Abad Santos town in Davao Occidental province on May 21 by fishermen who reported the discovery to authorities.

Curious locals gathered at the beach to inspect the remains of the marine creature, which appeared to have several wounds and had already begun to decompose.

The Philippine Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said the whale measured 60 feet in length and nine feet in width. The agency added that it was 'most likely already lifeless' when it drifted onto the beach in Sitio Sakalig.

DENR-XI Regional Executive Director Bagani Fidel Evasco ordered the provincial environmental office to coordinate with local officials to cordon off the area, citing potential health hazards posed by the decaying corpse.

He said: 'The carcass should be disposed of immediately because its smell can be toxic and hazardous to the community.'

The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office said they have called the Davao Museum to assist with deboning the sperm whale for preservation. Marine experts are now investigating the cause of its death.

Another dead sperm whale was also washed ashore in the Philippines' southern islands last January. Residents found the bloody 42-foot corpse in coastal Dapitan City in Zamboanga del Norte province.

The beaching of whales is believed to be a natural warning sign of impending earthquakes, but scientists have yet to find a definitive link between the two.