Dead whale had 115 plastic cups, 2 flip-flops in its stomach

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — A dead whale that washed ashore in eastern Indonesia had a lump of trash in its stomach including 115 plastic drinking cups and two flip-flops.

Wakatobi National Park chief Heri Santoso said Tuesday rescuers found the rotting carcass of the 9.5-meter (31-foot) sperm whale late Monday near Kapota waters off Wakatobi island in Southeast Sulawesi province.

Santoso said the mammal was male and the 5.9 kilograms (13 pounds) of trash in its stomach were identified as 115 plastic cups, four plastic bottles, 25 plastic bags, two flip-flops, a nylon sack and more than 1,000 other plastic pieces.

The cause of the death was still unknown and the carcass was to be buried later Tuesday without a necropsy because of its decayed condition.