Government Swiftly Handles Stranded Sperm Whale on Ternate Coast

RRI.CO.ID, Ternate - The Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) acted quickly to handle a sperm whale found stranded on the coast of Afe-Taduma Beach, Afe-Taduma Urban Village, Ternate Island District, Ternate City, North Maluku. The response was carried out collaboratively with the local government and the community, covering everything from identification and morphometric measurements to the burial of the marine mammal's carcass.

In a statement received on Monday, September 14, 2026, the report regarding the presence of stranded whales was first received by the Kupang Marine Management Center (PK) Team, Sorong Service Unit (Satpel) Ternate Working Area from the local community. Upon receiving the information, the team immediately proceeded to the site and coordinated with the Ternate City Regional Secretary, the Marine Affairs and Fisheries Agency (DKP), the Environmental Agency (DLH), district and urban village officials, and local residents to manage the situation together.

Head of the Kupang Marine Management Center, Imam Fauzi, expressed his appreciation for the swift response of all parties involved in handling the incident. "We greatly appreciate the Ternate City Government and the public for promptly reporting this incident. The awareness and synergy of various parties in the field greatly assisted in ensuring the identification and burial of the whale carcass proceeded smoothly and according to procedure," said Imam.

Based on identification and morphometric measurements conducted on-site, the sperm whale was identified as female and was in a state of moderate decomposition (Code 3), indicated by the outer skin beginning to slough off. In terms of dimensions, the whale had a total length of 9.8 meters, a body girth of 6.6 meters, a pectoral fin length of 75 centimeters, a dorsal fin length of 40 centimeters, and a tail length of 2.8 meters.

Because of the whale's substantial size, the removal and burial processes could not be carried out manually. The team in the field used heavy equipment in the form of an excavator to move the whale carcass and dig an adequate burial hole.

Once the excavation was complete, the whale carcass was buried near the site where it was discovered. This nearby burial location was deliberately chosen to facilitate periodic monitoring and inspections following the burial, ensuring the decomposition process proceeds safely and without causing adverse environmental impacts.

The Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) emphasized that prompt reporting from the public and cross-sectoral collaboration between the central government, regional governments, and residents are key in responding to marine mammal strandings. Such synergy is considered vital for ensuring that the response is swift, accurate, and conducted in accordance with established procedures.

Beyond serving as a mitigation measure for future incidents, the handling of this stranded whale case in Ternate is part of the KKP’s ongoing efforts to monitor the condition of marine life in Indonesia's coastal areas. The KKP hopes that public awareness regarding the importance of immediately reporting stranded marine life will be sustained across other coastal regions.