Carcass of 10-meter whale washes up at Phuket beach

PHUKET: The carcass of a 10-meter-long whale in a state of advanced decay washed ashore at Surin Beach yesterday morning.

Officers are trying to identify the cause of death and find a place to bury it.

“We received reports that the body of an unidentified marine animal had washed up at about 11am. We have identified it to be a whale, but have yet to learn the exact species,” said Patsorn Visudthiwatcharakul, director of Public Health and Environment at the Cherng Talay OrBorTor.

“We believe it died at least seven days before the body washed up,” she added.

Officers from Phuket Marine Biological Center came to collect samples for further examination.

“After the examination, we will quickly dispose off the carcass to prevent diseases from spreading,” said Ms Patsorn.

— Winai Sarot