Whale cast ashore in Karawang

Save the whale: Officials and local residents of Pakisjaya, Karawang, West Java, try to rescue a whale that has been stranded ashore on Pakisjaya Beach since Wednesday. (Antara/M.Ali Khumaini)

A whale was discovered along the northern coast of Karawang, West Java, and has been stranded on the beach since Wednesday.

The whale, which weighs about 20 tons and is 18 meters long, attracted hundreds of local people who wanted to get a close-up look, a local TV station reported.

According to one Karawang resident, the whale was discovered by a fisherman, who initially mistook it as a log, but when the fisherman approached, the whale flapped its fins.

According to a local Maritime and Fisheries Agency official, this is the first time a whale has been stranded in the area.