UPDATE: Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC) confirmed that the ‘dolphin’ reported earlier in this article is the Cuvier’s Beaked Whale. The Cuvier’s Beaked Whale is listed as ‘Least Concern’ on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
BINTULU: Successful rescue efforts to return a live whale to the sea last night came to a sad end this morning when the same animal was discovered dead on Tanjung Batu beach this morning (Dec 12) not far from where it was rescued.
Residents had discovered the beached 16-foot marine mammal at Tanjung Batu beach at 7pm yesterday (Dec 11).
The Bintulu Fire and Rescue (Bomba) department together with the Malaysian Civil Defense Department (JPAM) arrived at the site at 7.31 pm last night, successfully returning the it to the sea by 9.47 pm.
Despite their rescue efforts, however, it was discovered dead on the beach at 7 am this morning, not far from where they had originally found it last night.
The Sarawak Forestry Department will be investigating the cause of the marine mammal’s death.
