Sarawak Forestry Corporation said fishermen later reported the adult female stranded near the Pueh Youth Camp beach. It was found weak. The agency’s account put the second-stranding report at about 9am and the death at about 2pm that Saturday.

The animal measured 3.85 metres. SFC carried out a necropsy and collected specimens for its DNA database, turning the response from a rescue operation into examination and documentation of the stranding.

The agency’s instruction for beachgoers is to report stranded, injured or dead wildlife to SFC rather than handle it themselves. It directed the public to its hotline or nearest Kuching regional office so the appropriate rescue or examination response can be arranged.