A viral video of a large whale appearing in the waters of Uluwatu, Badung, Bali, has set social media abuzz. This is a rare event.
The viral video of the giant whale sighting in Bali waters was uploaded by the TikTok account @surfcultureindo on 29 June, 2024 (video original from @ericgeiselman).
A social media user recorded the marine mammal swimming on the coast. The circulating video shows a white whale flapping its body parts.
@surfcultureindo We had a suprise visitor in the Uluwatu line up 😍 #whale #surf #bali #uluwatu #surflife ♬ Lose Control – Teddy Swims
As is known, whales are among the largest animals in the world and rule the oceans.
The status of whales is a protected animal because of their threatened population. Unfortunately, the whale population continues to decline due to illegal hunting by humans.
The public’s reaction to this extraordinary sighting was a mix of excitement and concern. Comments on social media platforms like TikTok ranged from awe at the sheer size of the whale to worries about the state of our environment, reflecting a collective sense of responsibility towards conservation.
“Hopefully, it will be a good sign for the good of Bali in general, rahayu,” said one account.
However, some questioned whether the sighting was a sign of a natural disaster. Others felt that the whale looked sick.
“Looks like he’s choking on plastic,” wrote another account.
Whale sightings in Bali in the past year
The appearance of whales in Uluwatu is not the first time this has happened in Bali. In 2023, three whales were found dead stranded in Balinese waters in close proximity over the past week.
The giant mammals were thought to be stranded due to noise in the sea, extreme weather changes, changes in sea contours and currents, and natural disasters.
At that time, the Head of the Denpasar Coastal and Marine Resources Management Center (BPSPL), Permana Yudiarso, stated that the cause of the three whales that died in the Bali area in recent times was thought to be due to illness.
“Three cases occurred in Bali within a few days from March 31 to April 9, 2023. There are three cases that have surfaced, two of which we have necropsied. One we didn’t do because it was already rotten when we found it in Tabanan. The two that we necropsied had indications of illness,” he told Antara.
