The site of a dead blue whale is proving to be New Zealand's newest attraction this week with tourists flocking to see the 100-tonne beast off the country's North Island. The animal, known to be the largest and heaviest which has ever existed, was spotted on Tuesday along Taranaki shore, near New Plymouth, just a day after it was seen drifting upside down by a passing ship about 5km out to sea. Its sheer size and scale was put into perspective by videographer Stefan Nagel who posted a three-minute clip to YouTube featuring he, his father and a host of other excited onlookers examining the amazing creature from up close. Mr Nagel shows the sheer size and scale of the 100-tonne Blue Whale with one foot on its back and one its flipper . Beached: Stefan Nagel's father walks all over the whale which washed up on the New Zealand west coast on Monday . Scientists could not determine the exact cause of death for the 100-tonne beast but they believed it died of natural causes . Looking slightly worse for wear, the footage shows the animal with parts of its body cut and dissected from a necropsy - an animal autopsy - which scientists undertook to determine its cause of death. Taranaki Department of Conservation acting senior biodiversity ranger Callum Lilley said it was too difficult to determine how it died, because its organs had deteriorated so badly. He did say, however, that it appeared no shark or predator had tried to devour the whale and it died of natural causes. Mr Nagel told Daily Mail Australia that he drove to Taranaki Shore before walking some 2km along the remote coastline to where the whale was resting. He said it was like 'stepping back in time into another era' when he and his father eventually spotted it. 'I felt humbled and in awe at the same time, being up close and personal to something that big,' he said. 'There were lots of rocks as well as algae surrounding the dead Blue Whale and I had to do a lot of careful climbing to capture all angles of the whale.' Blue Whale's are the largest species of animal that has ever been known to exist on earth . The eye of the 100-tonne beast which was cut and damaged after the animal hit rocks when it drifted ashore . The guts of the animal which fell out after scientists performed a necropsy on it to try determine the cause of death . An up-close perspective of the back of the Blue Whale with Stefan Nagel's father standing on top . 'Eventually my father worked up the courage to climb on top and I soon followed ... it was an experience like no other.' Blue Whales are known to feed on krill at a 'foraging' area off the South Taranaki Bight, which is located close to where the animal washed up.
The Blue Whale, the largest species on earth, washed ashore on Monday .
It was seen floating upside down at sea a day earlier by a passing ship .
New Zealander Stefan Nagel took a video and uploaded it to YouTube .
He said viewing the dead whale was 'an experience like no other'
The site of a dead blue whale is proving to be New Zealand's newest attraction this week with tourists flocking to see the 100-tonne beast off the country's North Island. The animal, known to be the largest and heaviest which has ever existed, was spotted on Tuesday along Taranaki shore, near New Plymouth, just a day after it was seen drifting upside down by a passing ship about 5km out to sea. Its sheer size and scale was put into perspective by videographer Stefan Nagel who posted a three-minute clip to YouTube featuring he, his father and a host of other excited onlookers examining the amazing creature from up close. Mr Nagel shows the sheer size and scale of the 100-tonne Blue Whale with one foot on its back and one its flipper . Beached: Stefan Nagel's father walks all over the whale which washed up on the New Zealand west coast on Monday . Scientists could not determine the exact cause of death for the 100-tonne beast but they believed it died of natural causes . Looking slightly worse for wear, the footage shows the animal with parts of its body cut and dissected from a necropsy - an animal autopsy - which scientists undertook to determine its cause of death. Taranaki Department of Conservation acting senior biodiversity ranger Callum Lilley said it was too difficult to determine how it died, because its organs had deteriorated so badly. He did say, however, that it appeared no shark or predator had tried to devour the whale and it died of natural causes. Mr Nagel told Daily Mail Australia that he drove to Taranaki Shore before walking some 2km along the remote coastline to where the whale was resting. He said it was like 'stepping back in time into another era' when he and his father eventually spotted it. 'I felt humbled and in awe at the same time, being up close and personal to something that big,' he said. 'There were lots of rocks as well as algae surrounding the dead Blue Whale and I had to do a lot of careful climbing to capture all angles of the whale.' Blue Whale's are the largest species of animal that has ever been known to exist on earth . The eye of the 100-tonne beast which was cut and damaged after the animal hit rocks when it drifted ashore . The guts of the animal which fell out after scientists performed a necropsy on it to try determine the cause of death . An up-close perspective of the back of the Blue Whale with Stefan Nagel's father standing on top . 'Eventually my father worked up the courage to climb on top and I soon followed ... it was an experience like no other.' Blue Whales are known to feed on krill at a 'foraging' area off the South Taranaki Bight, which is located close to where the animal washed up.
seen drifting upside down by a passing ship about into perspective by videographer Stefan Nagel who washed up on the New Zealand west coast on Monday where the whale was resting. He said it was like surrounding the dead Blue Whale and I had to do a the whale.' Blue Whale's are the largest species experience like no other.' Blue Whales are known