A whale carcass has been seen in Hong Kong waters, according to police, adding that the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) and Marine Police were investigating the incident.
Police received a report that the carcass of a whale had been spotted to the south of Shelter Island on Monday. Further details will be released later, police said.
HKFP has reached out to the AFCD to enquire about follow-up actions and the possible cause of the marine mammal’s death.
A Bryde’s whale was first spotted in the waters near Sai Kung in mid-July, attracting many people who hoped to see the animal for themselves, with boats offering rides to approach it. Conservation groups urged the public to maintain their distance and not surround the animal with boats, as that may affect its ability to return to open waters.
Last Tuesday, local media reported that the whale had sustained injuries on its back, possibly caused by a propeller.
The animal was spotted with a cut on its back, with the injury suspected to have been caused by a sharp object such as a boat propeller, said Lydia Pang, senior manager of Oceans Conservation of World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) on Commercial Radio on Wednesday.
Whales were known to stop hunting and remain in shallow waters if under pressure, Pang said. The fact that it had stayed in the city’s waters might already demonstrate that it was feeling unwell, she added.
When the whale was first seen, the World Wide Fund for Nature said Bryde’s whales were usually found in the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans. Some may pass through the city during their migration, or it may have gotten lost or fallen sick.
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