Kotabaru, South Kalimantan (ANTARA) - A dolphin suspected of being an Irrawaddy dolphin was found dead stranded on the coast of Sarang Tiung Village, Pulau Laut Sigam Sub-district, Kotabaru District, South Kalimantan.
"The dead dolphin was first found by Sahabat Laut (Sea Friends) who are doing their activity cleaning the beach," said Supu, a fisherman, here on Wednesday.
The dolphin was found at the seaside by beach cleaners who were members of Sahabat Laut, a group fostered by PT Arutmin Indonesia NPLCT.
He said the dolphin was about two meters long dead and decaying and no injuries were found on its body.
Meanwhile, PT Arutmin NPLCT Indonesia CDEA Supervisor Yogi Swara Putra Mendra regretted the dolphin's death, because his party and Sahabat Laut are intensively developing marine tourism together with the local village MSMEs.
He suspected the dolphin's death was due to being hit by a fishing net.
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"Previously we have conducted dissemination to fishermen to help preserve these animals as part of developing tourism in Kampung Nelayan (Fishermen's Village)," said Yogi.
Not only dolphin, Yogi continued, hawkbill turtles and whale sharks are also found in the waters of Kampung Nelayan which enrich tourism potential, including bagang tour, managed by Sahabat Laut.
Head of Pesona Mandiri Tourism Awareness Group (Pokdarwis) Bahtiar said that Kampung Nelayan has been prepared since 2019 by forming the youth group Sahabat Laut in Sarang Tiung village.
“They provide educational facilities for marine tourism here,” said Bahtiar
Sahabat Laut has tourism activities as an effort to attract visitors in the form of education facilities for coral reef conservation, boat building, bagang tours, underwater tours to lodging places equipped with cafes with views of beach that pampers visitors.
Sahabat Laut also doing coral reef transplantation, making rompongs and so on, related to the sea, including mangrove planting, and some are even tasked with volunteering to clean up trash in the sea.
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