Canvas bag inside beached whale's digest system leads to difficulty in eating: AFCD

Assistant Director of the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, Dr. Jim Chu Chun-wa, expressed on a radio program today (Dec. 2) his hopes to complete the autopsy of the beached whale in Tai O waters.

"Due to the need for pathological analysis, the related autopsy report will take several months," he noted.

He also mentioned that whales belong to beaked whales, for which there is limited scientific research data, and he hopes that this incident can be used for scientific and educational purposes.

Dr. Chu stated that last Saturday around 3 p.m., they received a report from the police about the discovery of the whale. With the assistance of Tai O villagers until around 9 p.m. that evening, they successfully moved the whale to deeper waters. Unfortunately, the whale was too weak during sedation and died. Authorities initiated an emergency response mechanism for the first time to reduce human disturbance and provide emergency rescue for whales.

According to the preliminary autopsy, the whale showed no external injuries or injuries caused by propellers. However, its digestive system contained a canvas bag measuring 88 by 52 centimeters, relatively intact. It is believed that the whale couldn't digest this, leading to an intestinal blockage, making it difficult for the whale to eat for some time. There were no food remains in its body, and it appeared thin.

Dr. Chu noted that beaked whales typically live at depths of 300 to 1000 meters, while the waters near Tai O have a depth of only 10 meters, which is unsuitable for their survival. He believes that the whale came to Hong Kong waters alone this time possibly due to lagging behind its pod.

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