"Yes, 17 whales washed up on the beach of Menia Village in West Sabu Sub-district at around 1 p.m. local time today," Dedy Syamhadi, an official of the district's Marine and Fisheries Affairs Office, confirmed here on Thursday.
The local residents maneuvered three of the whales back to the waters, while seven others, owing to their wounds, remained stranded at the beach.
"Some whales suffer injuries, as they were washed up on the reef part of the beach," he revealed.
Syamhadi noted that the authority had secured the location and will continue to work towards returning them back to the sea.
No further information had yet been received on factors triggering the animals to wash ashore.
Strandings of marine mammals are common in Indonesia that has the longest coastline in Asia. Its waters serve both as a habitat and vital migratory route for dozens of species of whales, dolphins, and porpoises.
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EDITED BY INE
Translator: Aloysius Lewokeda, Sri Haryati
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
Copyright © ANTARA 2019
