Whale Shark Stranded On Telua Kolut Beach

6-meter long whale shark stranded on Teposua Beach, North Kolaka, Tuesday (31/12). (Between/HO-Residents of Teposua)

KENDARI - Residents found a six-meter-long whale shark stranded on the lips of Teposua Beach, Teposua Village, Pakue District, North Kolaka Regency (Kolut), Southeast Sulawesi (Sultra).

The village head of Teposua Rahmat Sabati explained that he first heard the discovery of the whale shark through information from residents.

"Just stranded on the edge of Teposua Beach. The first residents found it at around 08.00 WITA," said Rahmat as quoted by ANTARA, Wednesday, December 31.

The whale shark was found by residents in a half-body condition that the fish had been buried by the beach sand in a dead condition.

"I don't know because there are already many people, I don't know who is ready to find it, which is clear that many new people I also know if there are fish stranded, but the fish are dead," he said.

Whale sharks are estimated to measure about six meters long and wide between 1.5 to 2 meters wide.

"The width is about 1.5 meters to 2 meters, because it has a partially embedded position," said Rahmat Sabati.

To evacuate the whale shark, residents cut their bodies to make it easier to lift and bury. Because, at that time there was no heavy equipment used to lift the fish.

"It has been cut into pieces, because the initiative of the residents is that there is no heavy equipment for the evacuation of fish," he explained.