Eleven Pilot Whales Die After Becoming Trapped in Fishing Nets in Rote Ndao
Eleven pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus) were reported dead after becoming trapped in fishing nets in waters off Fuanfuni Village, South West Rote District, Rote Ndao Regency, East Nusa Tenggara Province (NTT). The marine mammals were discovered on Monday afternoon, 9 March 2026.
“Based on identification from colleagues in the field, there are 11 whales that have already died,” said Imam Fauzi, Head of the National Marine Conservation Area Agency (BKKPN) Kupang, on Tuesday, 10 March 2026.
Imam explained that in addition to the 11 dead whales, several other whales were in critical condition. However, he declined to speculate further as his team was still conducting data collection and further identification in the field.
According to plan, the carcasses of the dozen marine mammals will be buried with involvement from local government, the community, and the Maritime Police of the East Nusa Tenggara Regional Police Command. A veterinary team will also be involved to conduct a necropsy to identify the cause of death.
“The handling is not yet complete, which is why the report from the field has not yet been submitted. Once the report arrives, I will send it,” Imam clarified.
It was previously reported that a group of pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus) became trapped in fishing nets in the waters of Fuanfuni Village, South West Rote District, Rote Ndao Regency, East Nusa Tenggara Province (NTT) on Monday afternoon, 9 March 2026. The marine mammals were subsequently rescued by police.
“We found a group of pilot whales trapped in fishing nets,” said Ipda Subur Gunawan, head of South West Rote Police District, on Monday.
Subur explained that the incident began when police received information from the community, which was then passed to the South West Rote Police District duty officer. Shortly after receiving the report, police headed to the location to conduct an inspection.
Upon arriving at the scene, the information was confirmed. Several police personnel then used boats and were assisted by local fishermen to herd the group of pilot whales into deeper waters.
“With the equipment we had available, we successfully herded the group of pilot whales into deeper waters,” Subur explained.
According to Subur, this measure was taken to prevent the group of whales from becoming trapped again when the tide began to recede. The rescue operation lasted approximately three hours.
“We are grateful to the fishermen who assisted in the rescue operation of the whales conducted today,” Subur concluded.