On Monday, a whale carcass was discovered in the waters of Hong Kong, several weeks after a rare Bryde’s whale attracted a flock of sightseers to the same region. According to the Associate Press, the cause of the animal’s death is still unclear, pending a necropsy, but social media users are blaming the event on eager whale-watchers.
The carcass was found in the waters of Sai Kung, a region that had seen an influx in sightseers after a whale of the same species was seen in the area. In a statement released July 25th, Ocean Park Conservation Foundation Hong Kong wrote that, “Over the weekend, a crowd of the public was spotted approaching the whale, which causes stress and can lead to life-threatening consequences such as inability to rest or feed and trauma. Ocean Park and OPCFHK are concerned about the well-being of the animal and want to ensure that it is not disturbed or harmed in any way.” The release also noted that the animal was spotted with propellor wounds on its back.
In the wake of the whale’s demise, Hong Kong government officials have begun to consider legal changes and new protocols to protect other whales in the region from suffering the same fate.
“The incident shows we might have treated wildlife in an inappropriate way,” Secretary for Environment and Ecology Tse Chin-wan said in a news briefing. He added that it was unclear whether wounds on the whale had caused its death, but that the whale-watching activities may have disturbed the whale.
A necropsy is currently underway to confirm the cause of the whale’s death.
