On 5 May, hundreds of residents from nearby villages gathered at Anyar Sari Beach in Jembrana. For several hours, they watched a huge sperm whale that was unable to return to the ocean. It had swum too close to shore and became trapped when the tide went out.
Local residents spotted the whale in the water about 100 metres from the beach. At first, the mammal showed signs of life and moved along the shoreline. But they did not manage to help it in time. When the water began to recede, the animal was left stranded and then stopped moving altogether.
The huge whale quickly drew the attention of locals. Within an hour, hundreds of people had gathered at the beach, hoping to photograph it up close. Marine police from Jembrana and the Indonesian Navy from Gilimanuk cordoned off the area and asked people not to get too close to the carcass.
Veterinarians from the Indonesian Animal Protection Network carried out a preliminary examination of the carcass. They confirmed that a female sperm whale around 15 metres long had washed ashore.
The exact cause of death has not yet been confirmed. Specialists are continuing their examination and are trying to determine whether external factors, illness or age played a role. One likely cause is the very low tide, which prevented the whale from returning to the open sea.
The police also warned residents not to touch the carcass or climb on it. A dead marine mammal can be a source of dangerous bacteria and viruses.
Specialists are still working at the site and are deciding how to remove the whale from the beach.
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