Dead whale had its pectoral fin severed

An examination of a dead whale that was spotted in the East China Sea near Shanghai has found that the animal's left pectoral fin had been severed, possibly intentionally.

Tang Wenqiao, a professor at Shanghai Ocean University, inspected the carcass on Tuesday and estimated that the fin whale had been dead for at least 10 days, according to local media reports.

The whale measured 22 meters long and weighed about 20 metric tons, Tang said, adding that the wounds on its body suggested someone had cut off its pectoral fin.