Rescuers move a stranded melon-headed whale before releasing it into the ocean in Taizhou, East China's Zhejiang province, on July 7, 2021. [Photo by Pan Kanjun/chinadaily.com.cn]

A total of 12 melon-headed whales were spotted hundreds of meters from the shore in the city of Linhai, East China's Zhejiang province on Tuesday, according to reports.

Three of them were already dead before the rescue team arrived, the city's publicity department said.