PATTAYA, Thailand – A dead Bryde’s whale was discovered floating near Koh Larn, off Pattaya coast after becoming entangled in a fishing net, prompting sadness and concern among local fishermen and marine officials.
Tour boat operators first spotted the decomposing carcass about one nautical mile off Sangwan Beach. The body, roughly four meters long, was bloated and badly decayed, emitting a strong odor that spread across the area.
Initial inspection suggests the whale — believed to weigh several hundred kilograms — died after getting trapped in a tightly wound fine-mesh fishing net, with additional buoy ropes wrapped around its body.
The discovery was first reported on November 1 by Veerawim Nantawet, a 39-year-old recreational fisherman, during a night squid fishing competition between Koh Rang Kwian and Koh Ped.
“It was heartbreaking to see such a magnificent animal trapped and left to die,” Veerawim said. “If the trawler crew who caught it had immediately alerted authorities, there might have been a chance to save it. Bryde’s whales are rare in these Gulf of Thailand waters.”
Veerawim recorded a video and posted it on his Facebook page, expressing sorrow over the incident and thanking the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) for responding and preparing to retrieve the carcass for examination.
Both the Chonburi Provincial Fisheries Office and DMCR have since dispatched teams to locate and recover the whale, believed to still be adrift near Koh Larn. Officials said they will conduct an autopsy to confirm the cause of death and assess the environmental impact.
The Bryde’s whale (Balaenoptera edeni) is a protected marine species in Thailand, with only a few dozen individuals known to inhabit the Gulf.
