Whale Carcass Washes Up On Beach In Pekan

KUANTAN, Feb 24 (Bernama) -- A carcass of a 10-metre-long whale was found in a decomposed state on Pantai Sungai Miang in Pekan, near here, yesterday.

The marine mammal was found partially buried in sand by fishermen who initially thought it was a log at around 4 pm and is estimated to have been dead for several days based on the condition of the carcass.

The Department of Fisheries Malaysia (DOF) said in a statement that the Pahang Fisheries Department had received information from the public regarding the discovery of a whale carcass stranded on the beach.

"Acting on that information, a team from the Pahang Fisheries Department, together with the Fisheries Research Institute (IPP) at Rantau Abang (RA), Terengganu was deployed to the location to inspect the condition of the carcass,” the statement said.

"From an initial inspection, the whale carcass has been decomposing for a long time, making species identification difficult. Therefore, the IPPRA team will take samples to conduct eDNA analysis to determine the species more accurately."

Based on the condition of the carcass, the DOF estimated that the species might be a Bryde or Fin (finback) whale.

"The Department of Fisheries wishes to thank the public who provided information regarding this discovery. Such cooperation is very important in the effort to conserve and preserve marine life in the country's waters.

"For the public's information, under the Fisheries Act 1985, whale species are protected under provisions related to endangered marine species. Therefore, any disturbance or exploitation of whales is prohibited and can be subject to legal action. The department will continue to monitor this situation and take further action if necessary," said the statement.

Earlier, a 16-second video including several photographs showing the carcass of a whale stranded on the beach was shared by Iqbal Adzrin on Facebook.

Last year, an 80-kilogramme whale was found stranded at Kampung Tanjung Batu in Pekan.

-- BERNAMA