Maharashtra: Whale carcass washes ashore in Uran
At least eight whale carcasses have washed ashore in the state since 2015.
The carcass of a 40-foot-long whale was found washed ashore at Khar Danda in Navi Mumbai’s Uran on Thursday morning, reports said. Forest officials said the mammal could be a blue whale, but are conducting tests to ascertain the type of the species.
Fishermen were the first to see the mammal. “The carcass is estimated to weigh around 20 tonnes,” Additional Principal Chief Conservator N Vasudevan told the Hindustan Times. “Our team has collected samples. We will bury the carcass at the site itself. There could be many reasons for its death, including infection, old age, shipping noise, if it was hit by a ship, or if there was any kind of disturbance in the sea.”
This is the eighth recorded sighting of a whale carcass washed ashore in Maharashtra since 2015, according to the Hindustan Times. In June 2015, a blue whale had washed ashore on Alibaug beach.