A total of 44 pilot whales beached themselves late Monday on the island of Savu in East Nusa Tenggara province, where there is a culture of whale hunting for consumption.

“Locals have hacked into around 11 whales so far and will probably use the flesh for meat,” Savu fishery office chief Dominggus Widu Hau said.

“When local fishermen found them before midnight, they were all still alive. But it was already late and there were not enough people to help push them back in.”

More than a dozen fishermen, navy and police officers were still struggling Tuesday afternoon to keep the three surviving whales alive.

Jakarta Animal Aid Network identified the mammals, which lay stranded around 500 feet from the coastline, as pilot whales. Those beached were between six and 16 feet long.(source)

A story such as this should make us so grateful for the marine mammal medics that volunteer who medically assist stranded dolphins and whales worldwide. It takes a large group of trained people to save a pod such as this. They might not have a chance to survive,  but then again they might have.

In addition, what kind of activity was going on in that area? See the naval map for activities in that area here. Seismic testing is a possibility as well but no leads at this time. You can always check ships and their locations here

Thanks to Jakarta animal network who identified the pod and  for all their great work with animals and cetaceans in Indonesia. Whales and dolphins in Indonesia need our support. Please drop them an email or visit their site to see what you can do to help.

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