SATTAHIP, Thailand – Marine officials and naval personnel have examined the carcass of an adult male Bryde’s whale found washed against rocks off Samae San Island, collecting tissue samples to determine how it died. The whale was discovered by local fishermen on August 17 near the western side of Samae San Island in Sattahip district. The badly decomposed carcass initially made it impossible to determine its sex, age or cause of death.
On August 18, officials from the Marine and Coastal Resources Office Region 2, the Royal Thai Navy’s Naval Special Warfare Command, veterinarians from the Eastern Gulf Marine and Coastal Resources Research Center and local tour-boat operators inspected and performed a preliminary examination.
Veterinarians identified the animal as a Bryde’s whale (Balaenoptera edeni), an adult male measuring approximately 10 meters long.
Because the carcass was heavily decomposed, investigators could not immediately establish the cause of death. An examination of the digestive tract found no food remains or foreign objects.
Officials collected tissue and other biological samples for laboratory analysis and genetic comparison. The evidence will also be examined for signs that human activity may have contributed to the whale’s death.
The Marine and Coastal Resources Office Region 2 also filed a daily police report with Sattahip Police Station on August 18 to formally document the case and support further investigation. If the investigation finds that the whale’s death was linked to an unlawful act, authorities said legal proceedings will follow. Officials will continue the examination to determine the cause of death and establish the appropriate scientific method for handling the carcass.
