Whale carcass found in Sai Kung sent for dissection about its cause of death

A whale carcass was found in Port Shelter in Sai Kung waters on July 31 at around 6:30 pm.

The Agriculture, Fisheries, and Conservation Department (AFCD) and in collaboration with the Ocean Park Conservation Fund Hong Kong (OPCFHK) has arranged to salvage the whale carcass.

The OPCFHK will perform a necropsy on the whale carcass to find out the species and the cause of death. It was sent to the High Island Reservoir West Dam.

Findings will only be made available after a few days.

Necropsy results will reveal the whale’s behavior and of the specific cause of its death.

Data collected will help the government how handle whale appearances in Hong Kong and to better formulate action plans in the future.

In addition, the AFCD has made arrangements so that the carcass could become a specimen for scientific research and for educational purposes.

In mid-July, a whale emerged in the waters of Sai Kung.

The AFCD has collaborated with the OPCFHK to monitor the health condition of the whale.

They have also patrolled the waters where the whale appeared with other governmental bodies.

AFCD staff distributed leaflets to remind the public at various places including the Sai Kung Public Pier to avoid disturbing and scaring the whale.

They should not go whale watching and avoid doing water sports.

Six vessels were sent out to patrol within the past few days over large stretches of the seas and gave advice to sightseeing vessels.

High-speed vessels were also notified not to go where the whale had appeared.

Whale watching and water sports were canceled over the weekend.