Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara – A sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) washes ashore dead on Wadumaddi Beach, Sabu Island, Sabu Raijua District, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) Province.
Imam Fauzi, Head of the Kupang National Water Conservation Region (BKKPN), announced here on Friday that a dead sperm whale was discovered in a coastal area near the Bukit Salju tourist site on Thursday night.
“It was already decaying when it was discovered,” he noted.
Officers from the Kupang BKKPN were dispatched to the scene to assess the status of the nine-meter-long sperm whale.
“BKKPN colleagues will identify and measure, as well as collect samples for DNA testing,” he explained.
The sperm whale may have perished in the middle of the sea a few days ago, and its corpse was pushed away by the currents to the coastline region in Wadumaddi Village, Hawu Mehara Sub-district, according to Imam.
The head of the Kupang BKKPN verified that the sperm whale body will be buried once identification, measuring, and sample were completed.
Meanwhile, Sabu Raijua Police Chief AKBP Jakob Seubelan stated that traditional rites would be performed before the whale body is buried.
“There is a plan to undertake traditional rites across the shore, led by traditional leader Mone Ama, in order to prevent pollution,” he said.