Dead sperm whale in Klungkung, Bali

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Sea burial for a gentle giant: Crowds gather by dead sperm whale on Bali beach to say prayers, take selfies and leave fruit so it won’t go hungry in the afterlife

The whale was found by two fishermen in Bali while they caught lobster off the coast of Bali earlier this morning.
When they approached the 53 foot animal, they saw that it was dead and reported the body to the authorities.
News spread on social media and large crowds gathered around the beach to take selfies with the dead creature.
A Hindu priest was also seen making an offering to the dead whale who it is believed separated from its pod.

Huge crowds gathered on a beach in Bali after a 53 foot sperm whale washed up on the shore so they could take pictures with the dead animal.

The whale was found earlier this morning in Klungkung on the east of the Indonesian island by two local fisherman who had been catching lobster.

But when the news spread on social media that the dead whale’s body was lying on the beach, huge crowds gathered to take pictures with some even seen climbing on the animal.
Indonesian men place offerings for the dead whale on its back while praying for the dead animal in Bali.

People were also seen approaching the whale and laying items on it back as part of an offering, with a Hindu priest also seen ankle deep in the water walking over to the animal.

Negah Sunatra, one of the fishermen who first spotted the whale told Sindo News: ‘We usually look for lobsters on this beach. We were shocked with the whale.

‘After we approached, it turned out to be dead.’

Now police and the local authorities in Bali including the department for fisheries and marine affairs, the disaster management agency and a conservation body are forming a plan on how to remove the whale from the beach.

Bali’s Natural Resource Conservation Body confirmed that the animal washed up was a Physter macrohepalus, also known as a sperm whale.

They believe the whale was with its pod as it migrated to a different part of the ocean, when it became separated.

They add they think it drifted off and then ended up stranded on the beach.

Beached whales often die due to dehydration or collapse under their own body weight.

Sometimes they also drown when the high tide covers their blowhole.