Date: Sep 1, 1997 Kogia simus, Male, 200cm
Location: the coast of Chi Chin of Kaoshiung City
Situation: Both were alive when they beached. The larger one of the two was believed to leave safely, and rescuers couldn’t see it after it was two km off. However, the smaller one of the two bleeding heavily, drifting with external injuries. The sea was tinged red from the mammal’s blood. Rescuers gave the small whale medical treatments for eight hours before they sent it to an emergency center in Feng Shan. It died on the way to Feng Shan Emergency Center.
Cause of Death: Several round lesions were found all over its body, so we speculated that it might have been attacked by the cookie-cutter shark. Then it cut itself on some coral reef before it beached. It suffered from hemorrhage, as a result. Exhausted on the way to our museum, the whale died.
Rescue teams:
Department of Marine Biotechnology and Resources, National Sun Yat-Sen University
Rescuers from Chi Chin Beach Resort
Cetacean rescue team from the Planning Bureau of National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium