CHESAPEAKE, Va. (AP) — A whale that entered the Elizabeth River in Virginia earlier this week has died.

Joan Barns of the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center says the whale died on Thursday morning. A necropsy is planned, including tissue and blood samples for further study.

The 35- to 45-foot sei whale was first spotted Monday in the river’s Southern Branch near the Jordan Bridge and Paradise Creek.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says sei whales are usually seen in deeper waters of oceanic areas far from the coastline.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.