KUCHING: A post-mortem examination of a whale carcass recently discovered near Pulau Seduku revealed various debris, including slippers, plastic and other waste in the whale’s stomach.
The Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC) posted on Facebook that it conducted a thorough investigation into the incident, which garnered significant public attention after going viral on social media.
“It was determined that the whale was most likely swept in by strong currents caused by the ongoing monsoon season.
“After the post-mortem, the Wildlife Controller agreed that the whale’s skeleton would be handed over by SFC to the Sarawak Museum Department for preservation and further action,” SFC said on Tuesday (Nov 26).
The SFC management also extended its gratitude to the staff of the Sarawak Museum Department, the District Office, Kampung Triso Village Development and Security Committee (JKKK), bridge construction contractors, Triso ferry operators, and local residents.
“Villagers from Kampung Triso and relevant agencies also assisted in cleaning the area to prevent unpleasant odours from the whale carcass.”
The whale, believed to be an adult baleen species, measured approximately 10m in length with a tail fluke of around 2.8m and about 50 throat grooves.
The incident was first reported on Nov 19 by fishermen from Sebuyau, who spotted the whale near the Triso-Sebuyau Bridge during low tide at around 10am.
On Nov 21, SFC launched an investigation after a video of the discovery went viral.
