KOTA BELUD - Mantanani Island residents were shocked upon discovering the remains of a dead whale washed up on the coast on Tuesday morning.
The dead mammal was found at about 10 am by villagers before the matter was reported to a non-governmental organisation (NGO) on the island.
A diver on the island who wanted to be known as Ady, 30, said that they were asked to dispose of the carcass of the animal after it was found stranded on the coast.
"This whale is over seven metres long and may be a species of baleen whale or minke whale due to its smaller size.
"After it was found, we informed an non-governmental organisation (NGO), but they asked us to dispose of the remains of the dead animal," he said when contacted.
Asked if there had been another incident of a whale stranding on the island, Ady said it was not the first.
"I have been working as a diver on this island since 2017, and this whale discovery is not the first incident to happen.
"There used to be whales stranded on Mantanani Kecil Island, but that happened a long time ago," he said.
Earlier pictures of the dead whale that washed up on Mantanani Island had gone viral on social media.