A 20-ton humpback whale has died after becoming stranded on the coast of Asahan regency, North Sumatra, on Saturday afternoon. 

The whale became stranded in shallow waters near Silo Baru village, Silau Laut district, Asahan regency. 

Silo Baru village head Ahmad Sofyan said on Sunday that the whale's carcass was still around 1.5 kilometers off the coast of Silo Baru. He said a team from the Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) was planning to inspect the carcass before submerging it in the sea. 

Sofyan said the whale was first found stranded by fishermen around 500 meters off the coast of Silo Baru on Wednesday. The fishermen managed to guide the whale back to the open sea. 

Two days later, on Friday, the fishermen found the same whale had become stranded once again. Sofyan said it had become stranded during low tide and that the BKSDA team had pushed the whale out to sea the next day. 

"Unfortunately, the whale was limp by the time it got to the open sea. After being checked, it turned out the whale had died," Sofyan told The Jakarta Post. 

He added that it was the first time a dead whale had been found on the Asahan coast. 

Asahan Fishery and Maritime Affairs Agency head Tomy said the agency would investigate the cause of the whale's death. 

"We will find out the whale's cause of death by conducting laboratory tests," he said. (kmt)

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