A dead blue whale was discovered in Gwatar Bay, Balochistan.
On Monday, a dead blue whale, about 35 feet long, was found in the isolated seas of Gwatar Bay, which is situated between Iran and Pakistan.
Ahmad Baloch, a local fisherman, discovered the cadaver close to the Kuntani region of Balochistan. The whale most likely died in the open sea a few days ago and was swept into the harbor by strong currents and choppy waves, according to a statement from WWF-Pakistan.
Although the precise cause of death is still unknown, preliminary estimates indicate the whale might have become caught in fishing gillnets that are frequently utilized in the offshore and coastal regions of the region.
The Arabian humpback whale, Bryde’s whale, and blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) are the three species of baleen whales that inhabit Pakistani waters. Based on its relatively smaller size, WWF experts suspect this may have been a pygmy blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus brevicauda), a subspecies found in the northern Indian Ocean.
Muhammad Moazzam Khan, Technical Advisor for WWF-Pakistan, called the occurrence a devastating setback for international marine conservation initiatives. He pointed out that blue whales are endangered and usually located in tropical and subtropical areas of the Indian Ocean.
Khan demanded immediate action to save these marine giants, including stricter federal laws to preserve dolphins and whales in Pakistan’s Exclusive Economic Zone. Despite being protected under the wildlife laws of Sindh and Balochistan, there is still a lack of enforcement on a national level.
On April 8, 2024, a blue whale was last sighted in Pakistani waters off the coast of Gaddani, Balochistan.
The largest known mammal is the blue whale, which may grow up to 33 meters in length and weigh up to 190 tons.
