TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A pod of whales were washed up at Ujung Kareung beach in Aceh Besar today. The stranded whales have been attracting curious locals.
“There are around eight stranded whales. Only parts of their bodies are visible and they can only move thier tails,” a local said.
A local military district official said that residents reported that a pod of whales were washed up at 10:10, two of them were injured. Authorities plan to help them back to sea by boats.
Aceh Fishery Office official Teuku Nurmadi said that, having made some observation, it is found out that the stranded fish are sperm whales.
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“The whales live in a group or pod. When a member of the pod heads toward a beach the rest will follow, making them stranded here,” he said.
Teuku Nurmadi said that Aceh rarely sees stranded whales.
“It is unknown where the whales were from and where they would go. Likewise, the causes of wounds suffered by some of the whales are not yet known,” he said.
ANTARA