Residents of Ijaw-Kiri, a fishing community in Brass Local Government Area, Bayelsa State, at the weekend butchered and shared a massive dead whale found on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean.

It was gathered that residents of the community woke up in the morning to see the lifeless massive sea creature.

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On discovering that the whale was dead, they returned to their homes but came back in their numbers armed with cutlasses, axe and other sharp objects.

People from other neighboring communities of Odioma and Okpoama were said to have hurried to the shore to partake in the feast.

Most of the residents were seen standing on the massive creature and cutting various sizes of meat from it with the blood of the whale saturating the sea.

It was observed that one of the excited residents came with a saw to facilitate the cutting of the sea creature into sizes.

While some frowned on the practice of feasting on dead aquatic animals without knowledge of what killed them, most of the residents said God sent the food to them.

One of them, who identified himself as Shadrack said: “The swish I was eating was not too big. I then complained to God and he promised I would eat a bigger fish soon. God sent this overgrown whale to a city in Nigeria that is in the middle of the sea.

“My sister said she was tired of eating the big blue whale and I told her to bring the oil that was extracted from it to me. Early part of last month, I remember that some fishermen from Odioma in Brass caught a dolphin”.

One of the social media users, Akinola Ajibade, who commented on the development blamed it on hunger while others insisted that it was a meal from God.

“This sea creature was washed ashore. It was not killed. This happens once in a while in the oceanic communities of Brass Local Government Area. I have had the privilege of seeing whales being washed ashore and natives helping themselves”, says Ambrose Alfred.

But Ibarakumo Walson warned people against eating dead creatures they could not establish their cause of death.

“In the past, Ijaw communities dragged such floating fishes and animals into their homes only to be infested with cholera and other strange ailments. It is really absurd to see people trying to eat something, whose cause of death isn’t known. Who knows if the whale has been poisoned,” he said.