Officials from the Coastal and Marine Resources Department are investigating the cause of death of a Bryde’s or Bruda whale, whose decomposed carcass was found in a mangrove forest in Phra Samut Chedi district of Samut Prakan province on Wednesday.

The whale was estimated to weigh between 8 and 9 tonnes and was about eight metres long.

Mr. Wussanu Sengsamut, the assistant village head of Village 9 in Tambon Laem Fahpa, told the media that fishermen saw a dead whale floating in the Gulf several days ago, then Wednesday its carcass was found trapped in the mangrove forest near a fort in Phra Samut Chedi district.

He said that the carcass was badly decomposed and emitting a foul smell when it was found and all its bones had vanished.

On May 28th, a dead Bryde’s whale named Chao Pin, was found floating in the sea off Ban Laem district of Petchaburi province.  Officials suspect that it drowned after it was caught in a floating net. Another carcass of Bryde’s whale, about 15 metres long, was also found off the coast of Chumphon today (June 20th).

About five years ago, a Bryde’s whale, about ten metres long and 12 tonnes in weight, was found dead in the mangrove forest in the same district.