Mumbaikers on Friday woke up to another whale death news, which was spotted on the Juhu beach at 10 pm on Thursday. Police is investigating the case.
The 30-foot whale weighing around four tonnes is believed to have died 2-3 days back.
According to officials, it is a Bryde's whale and could have died due to sound pollution under water, pollution from industries, plastic consumption, or even disease.
“The animal had no external injuries," said Animesh Limaye, an expert from Reefwatch India.
Incidents of whale washing up the shore on Indian beaches have become a common phenomenon now.
Last year, a blue whale washed up at Alibaugh and died after a 10-hour struggle to push her back into the sea.
In 2016 January, 45 dead short-finned whales washed up at a beach in Tamil Nadu's Tuticorin district which forced the experts to review the situation as the whales ending up in Tuticorin were travelling thousands of kilometres from the Pacific.
Many whale deaths since 1973
You will be astonished to know that whale washing ashore has been a common phenomenon since 1973.
"This is not the first time this is happening," says Pichai, an elderly fisherman from the village. "It happened in 1974. Whales were washed ashore and died. At that time too, no one knew why."
The increasing frequency of whales washing ashore or being found in shallow waters is now of deep concern among environmentalists.
Reasons
1. Heavy underwater activity like earthquake or volcano may cause distress movement.
2. Whales usually swim against the flow and that might leave them in a situation when there is no water left to swim, thus leaving them stranded on the coast.
3. If they are attacked by bigger sea creatures like sharks they may find a safer beach without worrying about the consequences.
4. If they are injured due to nan-made conditions.
5. Rising noise pollution in sea is also a possible reason that causes distress movement and the high presence of plastic in the sea could choke the mammals.
It was the fifth case, in the deaths of 45 whales in Tuticorn, Tamil Nadu.
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