A dwarf sperm whale was discovered dead on the shores of Vunito Goloa Village in Ra on Thursday morning. The dwarf sperm whale is the smallest member of the whale family and is even smaller than most dolphins.
Villagers who came across the deceased whale noted that it appeared to be injured. Village headman Josefa Manakiwai reported that the whale measured approximately 3.6 meters in length. “The villagers who returned from fishing in the early morning found it on our shore. I believe it had been dead since last night or early this morning,” he stated. “It might have been bitten by a large shark in the open sea, as there are visible marks on its body.”
Mr. Manakiwai added that it is uncommon for whales to wash ashore unless they are injured at sea. “This is the second occurrence of this nature. The first incident was in 1993 when another dead whale washed ashore, and it too was injured.”
Rusiate Waqata, the service center manager with the Ministry of Fisheries in Rakiraki, confirmed that the mammal was indeed a dwarf sperm whale. “It must have been bitten and subsequently stranded here,” he explained.