Selfies and sacrificial offerings: crowds in Bali surround beached sperm whale

Hundreds of people gathered on Watu Tumpang Beach in Bali, Indonesia, Monday morning after locals discovered a huge catch.

A 16.2 metre-long sperm whale had beached on the island’s shores and became somewhat of a social media sensation.

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Some people laid food and other sacrificial offerings on the whale while others used the underwater giant as a photo prop, climbing on top of the carcass.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BC6j5h9A4Gd/

An excavator was brought in to remove the whale from the beach.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, sperm whales are found in all of the Earth’s oceans and males can grow up to 18.3 metres long.

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Local media reported that a spokesperson with Bali’s Natural Resource Conservation organization believed the whale became separated from its pod and drifted onto the beach.