Three whale sharks have reportedly stranded and died on Sin Htaung Beach, Longlon Township, Dawei, according to local eyewitnesses.

Whale sharks, an endangered species, are known for their extremely large size.

Local residents discovered the three whale sharks stranded and deceased on Sin Htaung Beach on November 16.

One local woman who witnessed the scene said that none of the three whale sharks showed major external injuries.

“We didn’t see any injuries. Their bellies were already ruptured. On the two lying belly-up, fluids were bubbling and coming out,” she said.

Eyewitnesses stated that one of the deceased whale sharks measured about 28 feet long, while the other two were over 10 feet long.

According to a source involved in marine and aquatic animal conservation, the smallest of the three deceased whale sharks was female, but the gender of the other two could not be determined.

Whale sharks, which local Dawei residents call Wa Zi Pyaw, typically reach lengths of around 40 feet and are known to be harmless to humans.

Due to the declining number of whale sharks globally, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has classified the species as endangered.

A member of the Native Species Conservation and Identification in Myanmar, an environmental activist group, noted that while whale sharks occasionally strand and die along the Myanmar coastline, a mass stranding like this has not occurred before.

“Five died in Indonesia in 2016, and that was the highest number recorded there. This is the highest in Myanmar’s history. Usually, it’s one or two. Three stranding together is unusual,” he said.

The area where the whale sharks are currently stranded is experiencing intense armed conflict between the military junta’s troops and resistance forces, making it difficult for expert researchers to access the site.

In 2021 and 2022, several whale sharks also stranded and died near Kyawkka Village in Pulaw Township and near Thae Tan Village in Kyunsu Township, both within the Tanintharyi Region.