The whale made nearby boats look small by comparison (Picture: EPA)

A massive whale has been towed away from the port of Sorrento by two boats.

The area of southern Italy is usually renowned for its romantic alleyways and cafes in Piazza Tasso.

Today, it was getting attention for the operation to remove the cetacean and pull into the Bay of Naples.

The Italian Coastguard tweeted today that investigations would now begin to determine how the whale died.

They shared photographs showing how the animal made boats in the port look small by comparison.

It appears to be one of the largest specimens ever identified in the Mediterranean.

Italian Coast Guards remove and transport the whale (Picture: EPA)
The carcass of a whale was recovered in the tourist port of Marina Piccola in Sorrento and subsequently transported to the ex Megaride shipyard in Molo San Vincenzo in Naples (Picture: Splash News)
It somehow managed to swim into the touristic port in Sorrento (Picture: EPA)
It was towed away to the Port of Naples (Picture: EPA)

The whale was identified on January 17, and the delicate operation to remove it was conducted two patrol boats of the Italian Coast Guard, under the coordination of the Maritime Directorate of Naples .

They arrived at the port of Naples after a few hours early this morning.

A necropsy examination will now take place.

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