The carcass of a humpback whale previously buried on the coast of Perancak Village, Jembrana Regency, Bali, had to be reburied after its original grave site was eroded by seawater, causing the carcass to resurface.
Reburial Operation
The reburial process took place on Thursday, July 16, 2026, from 4:00pm until approximately 8:17pm local time. To prevent a repeat occurrence, the new burial site was relocated roughly 200 meters west of the original location.
“The burial process continued until last night. It was buried at a location determined by the village head to prevent it from being eroded by seawater again,” said Jembrana City Police Chief Ipda I Ngurah Agus Dwi Widiatmika, when confirmed by detikBali on Friday, July 17, 2026.
In addition to police assistance, the relocation and reburial process was supported by village officials and local residents who worked together at the site. After several hours, the reburial of the humpback whale carcass was completed that night.
“The burial activity concluded at 8:17pm, safely, in an orderly manner, and without incident,” Widiatmika stated.
Background on the Resurfacing
As previously reported, the humpback whale carcass, which had been buried after stranding on Perancak Beach, resurfaced on Thursday. The marine mammal is believed to have risen back to the surface after its burial site was eroded by rising tides.
According to detikBali’s observations at the scene prior to evacuation, the burial position was located directly east of the original stranding site. At that time, only the tail portion remained buried in the sand, while the rest of the body had emerged and was producing a strong odor.
Perancak Village Head I Nyoman Wijana confirmed that his office had received reports from residents regarding the carcass’s reappearance on the beach before it was relocated.
“Reports from residents indicated that the whale carcass resurfaced on the beach because the burial site was eroded by rising tidal water,” Wijana said.