A 35-foot-long dead whale washed ashore at Juhu beach on Thursday night. Late night joggers discovered the mammal and informed the police, who notified the forest department.
The increasing frequency of whales washing ashore or being found in shallow waters is now of deep concern among environmentalists. The real reason for whales landing on the shore is known.
A forest official assessed that the animal, called the Bryde’s Whale, had been dead for two or three days.
“There are no wounds. A postmortem will be done and we will try to preserve its skeleton,” said forest official Makarand B Ghodke.
While stranding of whales is not uncommon, mass beaching has baffled scientists for years. Whales, which are known to swim in large social groups, may sometimes follow a ‘disoriented’ leader and get beached.
“There could be many reasons (for its death) — sound pollution under water, pollution from industries, plastic consumption, or even disease — since the animal has no external injuries,” said Animish Limaye, an expert from Reefwatch Marine Conservation.
It is a science under progress but India is way behind other global players in United States and Europe.
In June last year, a 42-foot-long blue whale was washed ashore at the Revdanda coast, about 17 kms south of Alibaug in the neighbouring Raigad district.
