A 65ft whale that washed up on a beach in China was towed back into the sea following a 20-hour rescue operation.

The huge sperm whale became stranded near Ningbo City, south of Shanghai, on Tuesday morning.

There were fears it would die of dehydration if it was not pushed back into the seain time.

Although whales breath oxygen like land mammals, they need water to stop them from overheating.

Beached whales are also at risk of collapsing under their own weight, or drowning when high tide covers their blowhole.

Volunteers also joined in to help move the whale, which weighed an estimated 10 tons.

The team tied the whale with guide ropes and towed it to shallow waters.

When the tide reached its highest at about 10pm, a tugboat was used to help move the whale deeper into the sea.

At about 5:30 am on Wednesday, the rescue team cut the hauling cable and set the whale free in deep waters.

Footage posted by local media showed authorities rescue efforts as well as the successful release of the creature.

The whale could be seen swimming off into the distance as the sun rises following the dramatic rescue mission.