A decomposing minke whale has washed up on a Kennebunkport beach.

The dead whale washed ashore some time before dawn Friday on Goose Rocks Beach, according to police.

Minke whales are common in the Gulf of Maine and are among the smaller whale species. They grow to be less than 30 feet long when fully mature and weigh about four to five tons. They can live for 50 years or more.

Messages for Kennebunkport police and public works officials were not immediately returned, but a report from WMTW-TV showed a front-end loader attempting to remove the carcass Friday.