Carcass of 12-meter-long fin whale washes ashore

HATAY

A carcass of a 12-meter-long dead fin whale has been found washed ashore in southern Turkey.

The lifeless body of the sea creature was first discovered by locals in Denizciler town of Hatay’s İskenderun district.

After receiving notifications from residents, academics from İskenderun Technical University (İSTE) and officials from the district’s Agriculture and Forestry Directorate and the Nature and Science Association arrived at the spot and determined that the sea creature was a baby whale who was spotted dead off the coast of Madenli recently.

Cemal Turan, an academic from İSTE, said that the sea creature, which was estimated to be three months old and died 15 days ago, was a “fin whale” species and that the whale might have entered the bay for feeding purposes.

The dead whale, which is about 12-meter-long, was taken out of the sea after the examination and was buried in the front yard of the university’s campus.

The skeleton of the whale is being planned to be exhibited in a future naval museum.

Fin whales, which can reach up to 27 meters, are prohibited from hunting due to their declining population and are considered an endangered species. These whales are usually found in the Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea.

In 2017, another 12-meter-long whale washed ashore in the same area in Hatay province.