Story By: Jonathan Macias, Sub Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Central European News
These images show the decomposing 60-foot sperm whale which has washed up onto a Chilean beach.
The huge mammal was found on a beach in the area of Rucacura in the town of Teodoro Schmidt in the La Araucania region of central Chile according to the Captaincy of the Carahue Port.
The Chilean navy reported that their local brigades and National Fisheries and Aquaculture Service (SERNAPESCA) went to the beach to examine the body of the sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus).
According to local authorities, the 18-metre (59-foot) animal may have washed ashore when it was already dead as it is in an advanced state of decomposition.
The Captain of the Carahue Port Cristian Zamora told local media: “The body of the specimen is in a state of decomposition and is emitting strong odours, so the community are requested not to approach the area while its removal or eventual burial takes place, considering its dimensions and the conditions of current swells.”
According to the local authorities, access to the beach has been closed while the local Marine Authority have sent patrols to watch the beach until the animal is removed.
The sperm whale is the largest of the toothed whales and the largest toothed predator on earth. It is listed as ‘Vulnerable’ on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List.
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