The remains of a female humpback whale were discovered along the Gulf of California coast near the fishing area of Punta Coyote in Baja California Sur.
Personnel from FONMAR (Fund for the Protection of Marine Resources) made the discovery while conducting a patrol near the Punta Coyote fishing camp in the municipality of La Paz. The whale’s body was found entangled in a fishing net and in an advanced state of decomposition.
FONMAR inspectors collected evidence and reported the case to the appropriate authorities, including PROFEPA, Mexico’s Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection, as well as the Whale and Marine Science Museum and the Mexico Marine Wildlife Rescue Center so the incident could be investigated and proper procedures followed.
Staff from the Whale Museum have expressed interest in preserving the whale’s skeleton for potential future exhibition as part of educational and scientific outreach efforts, pending the necessary permits and procedures.
Lizandro Olachea, FONMAR coordinator in La Paz, said the carcass of a juvenile female humpback whale was located on March 16 at around 1 p.m.
Olachea said the cetacean was entangled in a seine net. Although part of the net had come loose, authorities believe the entanglement was the likely cause of death.
He added that PROFEPA was notified immediately to begin the investigation and that the Whale Museum was contacted to manage the remains. According to Olachea, this is the first whale found dead in the waters of Baja California Sur this year.
