A dolphin weighing approximately 100 kilograms was found dead on the shores of Soka Beach in Tabanan, Bali, on Saturday morning, the latest in a string of marine mammal strandings to hit the island’s coastline this year.
Discovery at Dawn
Ni Luh Putu Wiwik Endrayani, Public Relations Chief for Tabanan Police, said the dolphin was first discovered by local fisherman I Nyoman Karyana, 54, at approximately 7am while he was walking along the beach to check wave conditions.
“Based on information from the scene, the stranded dolphin weighed approximately 100 kilograms and measured roughly two meters in length. When found, the animal was already dead,” Wiwik said on Saturday, July 25, 2026.
Karyana reported the discovery to fellow fisherman I Made Budiarta, and the finding was also passed along to I Made Wijaya, Secretary of the Soka Traditional Village Council and Head of Soka Beach’s Tourist Attraction management.
A Likely Cause: Rough Seas
“Our preliminary assumption is that the dolphin was swept ashore due to bad weather conditions, including strong winds, high waves, and rising tides,” Wiwik added.
What Happens Next
Wiwik said the dolphin’s carcass was scheduled to be buried along the Soka Beach coastal area that same afternoon, a measure taken to maintain cleanliness of the beach area.
Part of a Wider Pattern on Bali’s Coastline
This stranding adds to a series of marine mammal incidents reported along Bali’s shores in recent months, following the stranding and death of a 7.7-meter humpback whale at Perancak Beach in Jembrana in mid-July, a case that required multiple burial attempts after tidal erosion repeatedly exposed the carcass.
For travelers and residents walking Bali’s beaches, particularly during the current period of rougher seas and higher waves affecting parts of the island’s coastline, these strandings serve as a visible reminder of how quickly ocean conditions can shift, and why beachgoers are advised to heed weather warnings and avoid swimming during periods of high surf and strong currents.