The carcass of an 18-feet-long whale washed ashore at Malvan near Nargol beach in Valsad district of Gujarat on Wednesday. The carcass was badly decomposed and the forests officials were unable to identify its species. They have collected the samples for their further investigation. The officials reached the spot after being alerted by locals, who first spotted the carcass. As of now, no decision has been taken on the disposal of carcass due to its huge size.
The deputy conservator of forest Yadu Bhardwaj said that the administration is yet to find out if the whale died naturally or killed.
“As per rules cremation and burial both are permissible but looking at its size, burial will be a better option,” Bhardwaj was quoted as saying by TOI.
Another official suggested the whale must have died many days ago. Forest officials will be able to find out the time of death following some detailed examinations.
Reportedly, crowds from nearby villages have gathered at the spot to see the huge carcass. Whales are listed as endangered schedule-I species under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 in India.
In the recent past, dead sperm whales washing ashore have become a common sighting across the globe.
Earlier this month, a group of fishermen in Andhra Pradesh were shocked after witnessing a huge marine animal floating few meters away in the waters of the Bay of Bengal. Officials visited the spot and after testing the samples, they confirmed that it was a dead sperm whale.
In January 2021, the carcass of a huge whale was recovered from a sea in southern Italy. Coastguard divers saw the dead mammal in the sea near the popular tourist destination of Sorrento.
In June last year, the carcass of a 36-feet-long whale washed ashore in the coastal belts of East Midnapore district in West Bengal.
