Marine authorities discovered a plastic bottle lodged in the digestive tract of a dead Bryde’s whale found washed ashore on a beach in Songkhla province in southern Thailand.

The whale was spotted on Dec 5 at Khao Rup Chang in Muang district of Songkhla, the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources said.

Photos of the carcass had circulated on social media, prompting officials from the rare and endangered marine species unit of the Marine and Coastal Resources Research and Development Center to investigate.

A necropsy conducted by the team confirmed the animal was a young male Bryde’s whale (Balaenoptera edeni), measuring 9.17 metres in length. The carcass was in an advanced state of decomposition. No signs of entanglement or injury from fishing gear were found.

While no food was detected in the whale’s digestive system, officials discovered a single plastic bottle, raising concerns about marine debris. The whale’s liver appeared abnormally yellow, and most internal organs had decomposed.

Officials believe the whale likely died from an illness that impaired its ability to feed. Tissue samples were collected for DNA analysis, and parts of the skeleton — including the skull, ribs and pelvis — were preserved for research.

With support from the Songkhla Provincial Administrative Organisation, the remaining carcass was buried on-site, with lime applied to disinfect the area.