A sperm whale measuring approximately 15 to 16 metres has washed ashore on a sandbank in the Netherlands and has since died. Workers from the Marine Animal Rescue Team confirmed the animal was no longer alive after it was observed lying motionless on its side, which they described as a typical sign of death. The Dutch water management authority Rijkswaterstaat is monitoring the situation and working with Utrecht University on how to safely remove the carcass; the public has been urged not to visit the site, as the whale stranded in a protected nature reserve where disturbance to bird breeding grounds is a concern.