Authorities in Hong Kong have launched an investigation after a severely decomposed carcass of a whale – believed to be a baleen whale – was found on a beach at Ham Tin Wan in Sai Kung.
The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department was alerted to the discovery of the carcass, measuring approximately 11 meters in length, on Thursday morning.
The deceased whale was not a local species, according to the local authorities.
The department's staff, together with personnel from Ocean Park and Ocean Park Conservation Foundation, immediately attended the scene for investigation. But a necropsy cannot be further conducted to determine the cause of death due to the severe decomposition, the government said in a press release.
The staff members were working to dispose of the carcass and clean up the area, with completion expected by Friday.
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“Based on the degree of decomposition of the carcass, it is estimated to have been dead for some time. It is believed that the carcass drifted into the waters of Ham Tin Wan from the open seas,” reads the government statement.
The government asked people to avoid approaching the area to prevent hindering the disposal process and causing danger.
According to records, baleen whales are distributed almost globally across oceans, with different species inhabiting distinct waters. They typically forage in the cold, high-latitude waters around the Arctic and Antarctic during the summer. In the winter, they migrate to warmer, low-latitude or tropical waters for breeding and nurturing their young.
