Dead whale washes ashore in Turkey’s Fethiye

MUĞLA – İhlas News Agency

A three-meter-long dead whale has washed ashore in Turkey’s coastal district of Fethiye in the Aegean province of Muğla, leading to people on the beach to take pictures.

The incident occurred on July 10 in the Kıdrak bay in the Ölüdeniz neighborhood. Upon seeing the dead whale, stunned tourists on the beach notified authorities of the situation.

Following an analysis undertaken by teams from the forestry operation directorate, provincial directorate of agriculture and livestock and the coastguard, the dead whale was loaded onto a truck with the help of an excavator belonging to the Fethiye municipality. It was then taken to an empty area to be buried.

It was indicated that academics from Istanbul University would later on undertake an analysis on the whale.

Ali Kırımşelioğlu, working at an aquatic sports enterprise in Ölüdeniz, said that when they saw the whale in the water in the morning hours, it was badly injured, with its organs badly shattered.

Indicating that he had many times previously seen whales alive, Kırımşelioğlu said: “I had never seen a dead whale before. It seems that it was in the water for a long time. A bad smell spreads to the surrounding. This is a sad incident. Whales are one of the most beautiful animals of seas. Such things should not happen.”