PHUKET – A Bryde’s whale carcass has been found on a beach in Phuket province. It is believed that the mammal died of sickness.
Marine biologists from the Marine and Coastal Resources Research and Development Institute inspected the carcass found on Phuket beach in front of Trisara Phuket Hotel. According to their preliminary inspection, the 18-meter-long whale was around 15 years old and had been dead for more than 4 weeks before it washed ashore.
The marine biologists indicated that the Bryde’s whale, whose sex remains unclear, could have been killed by an infection. The carcass will be taken to Layan National Park where it will be buried.
Bryde’s whales are the largest mammals in Thailand. An adult Bryde’s whale could weigh up to 20 tons and grow to lengths of up to 15 meters long.
It is reported that there are around 50 Bryde’s whales in the Gulf of Thailand.
