remains of a 30-foot-long sperm whale washed up in Bermuda over the weekend.

They will decide whether to preserve the skeleton for the Island's Aquarium or whether any groups studying sperm whales may need the carcass.

The long-dead whale was spotted offshore on Saturday but it was in danger of being washed ashore on Pompano Beach.

Aquarium Curator Mr. Jack Ward was among a team which attempted to tow the body using an outboard motorboat, but it was not big enough. The team went to get a bigger boat and the whale had drifted onto the rocks near Elbow Beach.

They finally managed to drag it to Nonsuch Island.

Mr. Ward said: "We took it to Nonsuch Island in the hope we can get the skeleton from it if nothing else. It is in nobody's way on Nonsuch.

"It seems worth getting a skeleton because some scientist may be working on sperm whales and may be interested. If not we can use it as an exhibit at the Aquarium.'' According to Mr. Ward, the whale had been dead for some time and its body has deteriorated and been eaten way. He said that there were some particularly large shark bites.

He said: "It has deteriorated too badly to do an autopsy. We cannot find its cause of death. All we can say is that it is a young whale. It is certainly not fully grown.

"There was no real way of identifying what kind of whale it was except for its lower jaw and the shape of its head.

"Quite honestly sperm whales are no longer abundant on the open ocean. Their population has been decimated over the decades and to see one washed up here is a relatively unique event.'' Sperm whales have suffered over the years from hunting and pollution of the oceans. Many scientists are now studying whether they will ever be able to re-establish themselves before becoming completely extinct.