On Friday morning (14/01/22), Westerlaken Foundation/Yayasan Bali Bersih conducted a survey on Padang Galak Beach regarding 4 dolphins which were stranded the previous day. That morning we saw no sign of the dolphins. According to Nyoman, the owner of a shop on the beach, since 6 Am in the morning when they started opening their shop, the four dolphins were nowhere to be seen. To make sure, we walked along the shoreline to look for any possibility that the dolphins had washed ashore, but along the shore there was no proof of the thought.
In the afternoon, using a local boat from a group of fishermen at Matahari Terbit Beach, we left to conduct a survey by sea in the waters around the coast along the waters of Padang Galak (Rangkan to Mertasari beach) for about 32 km, with no signs of the dolphins. We hope that the Risso’s dolphins have swam to deeper water and returned to their natural habitat.
Looking back at the incident on Padang Galak Beach, Thursday (13/01), we feel how important it is to increase cooperation and unify the vision of marine animal/ mammal observers and the government in Bali. Understanding and equating procedures/protocols and actions to be taken in similar events in the future is paramount.
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