A sperm whale that became famous after beaching itself on a sandbar along Florida’s Gulf Coast has died, officials said.

Police and wildlife officials began trying to free the male whale from the shallow sandbar off the beach in Venice on Sunday morning.

They had estimated it to be about 70 feet long, but the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said on Monday that it was 44 feet.

By Sunday evening, the whale suffered from laboured breathing and died at around 3am on Monday. The biologists had a difficult time helping it because of water conditions.

Biologists will collect samples to determine the cause of death, which could take several weeks.

Venice is about 75 miles south of Tampa.