SURAT THANI: The rotting carcass of a Bryde's whale, or Bruda whale, was found washed up on rocks at Choeng Mon beach on Koh Samui on Sunday.
Villagers informed Withaya Suksom, chairman of a rescue centre in tambon Bo Phut, of the discovery. He reported it to Bo Phut police.
The dead whale was beached on rocks about 20 metres from the shore. It is about 11.3 metres long with an estimated weight of one tonne. The whale's sex had yet to be determined.
Its tail section is rotting, sending a foul smell over the area.
Chaowalit Phetnoy, the Koh Samui fishery office chief, said the carcass was probaby washed ashore by waves from the northeast.
Mr Chaowalit said experts from the Chumphon-based Marine Resources Development and Research Centre for the Upper Gulf of Thailand were expected to arrive on Monday to examine the carcass and try and determine why it died.
In January last year, the rotting carcass of a Bruda whale was found among mangrove trees in tambon Bang Poo Mai of Samut Prakan's Muang district.