Residents of Okpoama kingdom, located in Brass Island within the Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, made a startling discovery on Wednesday morning when they encountered a massive fish suspected to be a whale washed ashore on Okpoama beach along the Atlantic Ocean.
The unusual sighting occurred after the fish became stranded the previous night, likely due to low sea waves at the riverbank on Tuesday.
Upon noticing the grounded whale early Wednesday, residents of the kingdom gathered together, equipped with machetes, hawk shaws, and axes. They proceeded to approach the fish, which appeared lifeless, with the intent to butcher it.
The incident has sparked curiosity and attention among locals and visitors alike, highlighting the rare occurrence of such marine creatures reaching the shores of Okpoama.
Daily Post reports that Mr. Tarinyo Akono, an indigene of the community and former Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Bayelsa State, speculated that the whale likely died after becoming stranded during low tide on Tuesday. He noted that had it been found alive, efforts could possibly have been made to rescue and return it to the sea.
Seiyefa Felix Ben-Basuo, the youth president of Okpoama community, confirmed the incident, mentioning that locals were still at the waterside engaged in butchering the animal due to its substantial size.
The occurrence may be attributed to the high tide brought about by the rainy season, which could have carried the whale to the riverbank where it became stranded.
Notably, a similar incident involving a large whale stranded in the same waterside occurred in August 2019, prompting residents to also butcher the animal.
