TOKYO, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Japan's Osaka Municipal government said the sperm whale that died recently after swimming into Osaka Bay will be disposed at sea, the city mayor said on Tuesday.

"The whale came from the sea, so we want to return it to the sea after its death," Osaka Mayor Ichiro Matsui told reporters, adding that hopefully the city government would complete the disposal by the end of the week.

To prevent the carcass from exploding, the city will remove gas building up within the whale's flatulent body first and tow it to deeper waters offshore where it will be sunk, Matsui said.

The estimated 15-meter-long whale was first spotted in shallow waters near the mouth of the Yodo River in Osaka last Monday, but it gradually stopped moving and became progressively weaker.

The rare sight of a marine mammal in the bay quickly drew crowds and attracted media attention. However, the whale was confirmed dead last Friday. Enditem

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