Bag found in whale stranded in Hong Kong waters ‘highly likely’ to be cause of death
Whale earlier discovered in shallow waters off Lantau Island, but declared dead a day later as authorities scrambled to rescue animal
A synthetic bag found inside the intestines of a whale that became stranded in Hong Kong waters is “highly likely” to have resulted in the animal’s death as the piece of rubbish could have disrupted its eating, digestion and nutrient intake, experts have said.
They said on Monday that the male beaked whale, which measured six to seven metres (19.7 to 23 feet) in length, was unlikely to have known how or where to hunt for food in such unfamiliar and shallow waters.
The animal was discovered in waters off Lantau Island’s Tai O on Saturday, prompting authorities to adopt a contingency plan to rescue it. But the whale died a day later, with officials promising to conduct a necropsy.
Dr Jim Chu Chun-wa, an assistant director of the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD), said the synthetic bag was relatively intact, meaning the whale’s digestive system had been unable to process it.
“From our preliminary findings, the synthetic bag was stuck in its intestines. This was highly likely to be one of the causes of death. Our necropsy showed little food in its stomach. This is one of our more important discoveries,” the fisheries and marine conservation specialist said.
“The whale was relatively thin and might have had difficulty eating for a while. He may not have had the skills to hunt for food in shallow waters,” he said, adding there were no signs the whale had been injured by ships or their propellers.
