14-metre Sperm Whale and a dugong washed ashore, Palk Strait in Rameswaram, India

Special Correspondent

RAMANATHAPURAM, October 21, 2012

For the first time a sperm whale has been found near the Palk Strait.

A 14-metre-long male whale, which has been dead for at least 10 days and a dead dugong <(SEE BELOW) (Kadal pasu), measuring two metre long, were found washed ashore in the Vadakadu and Panaikulam seashore, respectively, off the Palk Strait in Rameswaram on Saturday morning.

Additional Conservator of Forest T. Rajendran, who inspected the carcasses, along with N. Nagarajan, Ranger, Tuticorin, said the whale’s circumference measured 10-metre.

A Whale ashore at Vadakadu sea shore in Rameswaram. Photo: L. Balachandar

The front fin was 1.5 metre long and the head measured 3.5 metre. He identified it as Sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus).

Citing records, he said this was for the first time, a sperm whale, which live in deep sea, has been washed ashore off the Palk Strait.

The carcass was highly decomposed and tail portion got severed and found washed ashore 200 metres away in the coast, he told The Hindu.

Sei whales (Belaenoptera borealis) have earlier been washed ashore off the Gulf of Mannar, he said.

Due to seasonal changes, especially during the withdrawal of the southwest monsoon and setting in of northeast monsoon, the mammal would have lost its way.

It could have either crashed into rocks or died of starvation, he said. The exact reason for its death, however, could not be ascertained, he added. The carcass would be buried in the coast after post-mortem on Saturday evening or Sunday morning, Mr. Rajendran said.

Earlier, on being informed by the local fishermen, S. Venkatachala Boopathi, Forest Ranger and M, Jafer Forester, also visited the carcass.

Mr. Nagarajan said the dead Dugong at Panaikulam seashore was buried after post-mortem. Its width measured 134 cm and it weighed 400 kg, he said. It had no injuries and could have died after hitting against rocks, he said.

thehindu.com

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