TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A dead false killer whale measuring 4.5 meters long was found in Penghu on Wednesday.
According to the Penghu Coast Guard’s Jibei Inspection Station, officers on coastal patrol at 8:30 am discovered the dead cetacean on the northern shore of Jibei Island and reported the incident to the Penghu’s agriculture and fisheries bureau, CNA reported.
The bureau said the dead whale weighed over 1,000 kilograms. It added that the whales can sometimes be found in waters around Yilan.
The Taiwan Cetacean Society dispatched a team on Wednesday afternoon to conduct a necropsy and collect samples to determine the cause of death. Based on external identification, the organization confirmed it was a false killer whale. Since it had not been dead for long, the whale holds significant scientific value.
False killer whales can reach up to 6 meters. They are highly sociable and can be found in tropical and semitropical waters.
