A dead dwarf sperm whale was discovered on the shore at Vunito Goloa Village in Ra on Thursday morning. This species is the smallest within the whale family and smaller than most dolphins.
Local villagers reported that the whale appeared to be injured. According to village headman Josefa Manakiwai, the mammal measured approximately 3.6 meters long. Early-morning fishermen found the carcass and speculated that it may have died the previous night or early that morning. “It could have been bitten by a large shark while in open waters, as we can see the marks on its body,” Manakiwai explained.
He noted that such incidents of whales stranding on their shores are rare and usually occur only when the animals have been injured at sea. “This is the second occurrence; the first was in 1993, when another dead whale washed ashore, and it too had been injured,” he added.
Rusiate Waqata, the service center manager with the Ministry of Fisheries in Rakiraki, confirmed the identification of the mammal as a dwarf sperm whale, stating, “It must have been bitten and stranded here.”