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© Kiwi WhiteA five-metre long whale has beached itself near Port Lincoln in South Australia.
A five-metre long whale has beached itself in the shallows of a popular surf beach near Port Lincoln on the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia.

The Environment Department said the dead whale, found near Lone Pine Beach, could be a minke.

A minke whale beached itself in the area last month but was rescued by locals.

That whale had been rescued three times from the Port Lincoln foreshore after swimming into shallow water during low tide.

Peter Wilkins from the department said they had not ruled out that the dead whale was the same animal.

"I guess it is a possibility that that's the case," he said.

"It's a fair way from here, it's the same size but like I said, there are a number of whale species that are about that size that do wash up."