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ocal fishermen have freed a stranded whale on Oka Kea Beach, Nggodimeda village, Rote Ndao regency, East Nusa. The 4.4-meter whale was found stranded near a gas-fired power plant in the village.

“The whale had been stranded since Wednesday at 4 p.m. on Oka Kea Beach. There were eight cuts to its body,” Kupang National Marine Conservation Bureau (BKKPN) chief Ikram Sangadji told reporters on Thursday. Ikram said that the BKKPN team had gone to Rote to see exactly what type of whale was stranded.

He added that when the locals found it on the beach, the whale was still alive, although it was very weak and not moving. It was believed that the whale may have become stranded after it received its injuries.

“From its morphology, the stranded whale is possibly a finned pilot whale, 4.4 meters in length and 1.5 meters wide,” Ikram said.

From Wednesday to Thursday, Nggodimeda and Central Manoholok Rote sea turtle conservation groups, and the police and Babinsa (village supervisory non-commissioned military officers) kept up efforts to save the whale by keeping its body wet with sea water.

Ikram said that on Wednesday at 10.40 p.m. the whale was released into the sea during a high tide. However as the whale did not move from the shore, it was not clear whether it was still alive.