(Denpasar) A 17-meter sperm whale died after it washed ashore off the coast of Bali, Indonesia, a conservation official said on Sunday.
This is the third cetacean found dead in a week. It was spotted on Saturday afternoon at Ye Le beach in the east of the island.
On Wednesday, another 18-meter sperm whale was first found alive, stranded on a beach on the east coast, and later released. He died hours later on another beach, with no apparent injuries, Udiarzo said.
1R In April, an 11-meter Bryde’s whale was found dead off the coast of Tabanan (South), its carcass already decomposed.
“Like the whale that washed ashore a few days ago,” the sperm whale that died Saturday appeared to be sick, says local marine affairs and fisheries officer Permana Udiarzo. “His body was lean,” he added.
The results of the necropsy will take at least three weeks, but experts have found blood in the 17-meter sperm whale’s lungs and its colon filled with fluids, the official said.
Police barred access to the area to prevent theft of meat or carcass parts.
In 2018, a sperm whale was found dead with 100 cups and 25 plastic bags in its stomach, a dramatic illustration of the scale of the problem of marine plastic waste facing the Southeast Asian archipelago.
After China, Indonesia is considered to be the largest contributor of marine plastic waste.
