A fisherman in China managed to reel in a huge whale off the coast of Shandong Province at the weekend after finding it dead at sea, and the incident was caught on camera.

In the footage, filmed off the coast of Rizhao, a crane can be seen lifting the massive mammal onto a flatbed truck which then carries it away.

According to news reports, the mammoth 8.5-metre long, 3.9-tonne whale was found by fisherman Dai Yushan on Saturday morning and kept on the beach until the city bureau of ocean and fishery arrived to check the body a day later.

Some experts said "losing its way" might be the cause of the death, but admitted further tests are required.

Footage of a huge whale being captured on a coast by some fishermen in China who had found it dead in the sea.

In the video, filmed at a coast in Rizhao, Shandong Province on Sunday, a crane can be seen lifting the massive animal on to a flatbed truck which then carries it away.

According to news reports, the mammoth 8.5-meter long, 3.9-ton whale was found by a local fisherman on Saturday morning and kept on the beach until the city bureau of ocean and fishery arrived to check the body a day later. Some experts said losing its way might be the cause of the death, while further examination is still required.