Residents of Yzerfontein along South Africa's West Coast are battling to save a beached whale.

Netwerk24 reported that a 9m whale was stranded on 16 Mile Beach at the seaside town on Monday.

Locals rushed to attempt a rescue after the whale beached at about 10:00.

Some poured water over the whale's skin, but there were concerns that the marine mammal had stopped moving. It also appeared as if the mammal's weight was crushing its organs.

"It's not in good health at all," NSRI spokesperson Craig Lambinon told News24.

Some people said fluid that looked like blood could be seen coming out of the whale's mouth.

According to the International Whaling Commission, there are two main reasons for whale strandings.

"Stranding occurs for two reasons - natural processes including age and disease, or human-related issues including bycatch, vessel collisions and environmental degradation. Natural and human-related factors can also interact to cause stranding," said the organisation.

Source: News24