Shocked locals found a 40ft long whale washed ashore in a mangrove forest yesterday (January 26) morning.<br /><br />Fishermen noticed the huge 15 tonne carcass which emerged from the Gulf of Thailand in Samut Prakan, 30km south of Bangkok.<br /><br />Researchers from the Marine and Coastal resources research centre arrived to inspect the huge Bryde's whale.<br /><br />They said the sea creature was a six-year-old female which is believed to have been dead for five days.<br /><br />Chalatip Chanchompu, director of the country's sea research centre, said marine biologists will cut the whale's tissue to identify her sub species.<br /><br />They will then perform a post-mortem examination after the body has been transferred to a patch of open land.<br /><br />Chalatip said: "We could not identify the cause of her death yet. First we will examine her tissues to determine her subspecies.<br /><br />"The body will be moved to empty land where it can be operated on fora a post-mortem examination, to confirm how she died.''<br /><br />The scientist added that the centre will keep the whale's bones for educational purposes. <br /><br />She said: "The whale's body will be buried but we will gather her bones and keep them for research at the centre. The tissue will decompose in around two years."
