Malaysia: Carcass of male dolphin washed ashore on Melaka beach

Nur Saliawati Salberi New Straits Times 17 Sep 18;

MELAKA: A dead male juvenile dolphin, weighing about 35kg, was found washed ashore on Tanah Merah Jaya beach, Pantai Puteri, here this afternoon.

In the 4.30pm incident, the carcass of an endangered species, Neophocaena Phocaenoides (finless porpoise), was discovered by several anglers at the site.

Resident Azmi Leman, 50 said the Fisheries Department was promptly notified on the discovery of the mammal, the first in a long time at the beach.

“The anglers noticed a black object washed up on the beach before realising that it was a dolphin,” he said when met at the site today.

State Fisheries Department deputy director Doreen Wee Siew Leen said the dolphin was categorised as juvenile judging by its length of 1.4 metres.

“The endangered species was found in our waters. Physical checks revealed that the dolphin had died due to stress and of malnutrition.

“Its carcass would be frozen and sent to the Turtle and Marine Ecosystem Research Centre in Rantau Abang, Terengganu, to be preserved for research purposes,” she said.