Autopsy reveals plastic cup inside Phuket's dead Bruda whale
A plastic cup was found inside the corpse of a Bruda whale found floating off Phuket, the Marine and Coastal Resources director-general said on Monday.
Atthapol Charoenchansa, the department director-general, said the rotting carcass of the 13-metre-long female Bruda whale was found floating in Laem Sai Bay to the south of Koh Racha on Saturday.
Attapol said though it is not believed that the plastic cup blocked the whale’s digestive system, it was difficult to identify the exact cause of death because the organs were very badly rotted.
Two Nipa palm fruits were also found in the whale’s stomach as well as parasites in the intestines. Nipa palm is not part of a whale’s diet.
Atthapol said that though the plastic cup may not have been the main cause of death, people should still desist from throwing garbage in the sea because it kills marine creatures.
Instead, he said, people should help collect trash seen floating in the sea or call the 24-hour 1362 hotline to report if anyone is seen dumping garbage in the sea.
Attapol said the Upper Andaman Marine and Coastal Resources Research Centre was alerted of the floating carcass by Koh Racha Yai’s network for marine resources conservation. He added that the centre dispatched two boats to tow the carcass to Phuket for autopsy.
