A 37-foot sperm whale was spotted dead in the Island Garden City of Samal in the Philippines. Local residents and beachgoers were surprised to find the massive marine mammal washed up in front of a resort along Babak District.
In a report by the Manila Bulletin, we learn that Darrel Blatchley, a cetacean expert, was immediately called to respond to the beaching.
The whale was found Friday night and was already bleeding by Saturday.
A backhoe was used to bring the dead whale to the shore. Aerial shots were later uploaded online by Sun Star Davao.
According to Blatchley, the whale carcass will be transported to the Bone Museum located in Davao City.
The mammal will be deboned on site and its carcass meat will be thrown at the Samal Sanitary Landfill.
The cause of death remains undetermined at this point.
Blatchley, however, believes that the whale may have choked on plastic trash or may have been injured by vessel propellers around the Davao Gulf. This is not the first time beached marine mammals were found in the area, noted Blatchley. In fact, he was also called to respond to a beaching of a smaller cetacean the previous week.
Meanwhile, we’ve also reported about two beached sperm whales in the past. They were found in Germany and it was later discovered that they were full of plastic debris and car parts.
