The Department of Marine and Coastal Resources revealed the resultsof the autopsyon a Bryde's whale stranded in Samut Sakhon Province. It was struck in the left abdominal cavity by a blunt object, causing shock, severe blood loss, and intense pain, leading to death along with its unborn calf.
The Facebook pageof the Department of Marine and Coastal Resourcesposted a report on the autopsy of the stranded Bryde's whale in Samut Sakhon Province, stating that from 13 to 15 March 2025, officials from the Upper Gulf of Thailand Marine and Coastal Resources Research Center (MCRC) together with the Marine and Coastal Resources Office 8 in Samut Sakhon conducted an autopsy on the whale carcass found on 12 March 2025 along the Samut Sakhon coastline.
It was identified as a Bryde's whale (Balaenoptera edeni), female, fully grown, 11.5 meters long, with a decomposed carcass and peeling skin.It is presumedto have died no more than seven days prior. Initially, identification by comparison with the Bryde's whale database was not possible due to lack of distinctive external features. Officials collected tissue samples for genetic comparison.
Veterinarians from MCRC found the whale's body condition to be very good, with a 5-centimeter thick subcutaneous fat layer. No external wounds were found. The musculoskeletal system showed bruising and blood congestion in muscles on the left side of the abdomen. Blood clots were found in the membranes around lumbar vertebrae 5 to 8 (L5-L8).
In the respiratory system, blood congestion was observed in the left lung tissue near the rear. The heart and blood vessels appeared normal, but soft blood clots were found in the right heart chamber. The diaphragm was torn, and parts of the uterus and intestines had herniated into the chest cavity.
A 117-centimeter whale fetus was found partially outside the uterus, in early to mid-gestation. Other internal organs, such as the liver and kidneys, were decomposed but showed no observable abnormalities.
The cause of death was concluded to be direct blunt trauma to the left abdominal cavity, causing sudden increased abdominal pressure, diaphragm rupture, and displacement of some internal organs into the chest, leading to breathing difficulties, shock from blood loss, and severe pain.
The Samut Sakhon Provincial Administrative Organization assisted with the burial of the carcass. The whale's skeleton is undergoing preservation for display under a conservation project initiated by Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn to serve as an educational resource about rare marine animals in the upper Gulf of Thailand.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, Mr. Suchat Chomklin,has called forthe public and marine operators to help monitor and reduce risks to rare marine animals, and to join in conserving the Bryde's whale, a rare marine species and an important symbol of the Gulf of Thailand's ecosystem.
Information courtesy of the Facebook page of the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources.