Puri: Forest department officials Tuesday recovered the carcass of a whale shark (Rhincodon typus) near the lighthouse at Baliapanda beach here. The dead shark was first spotted by a group of local fishermen and tourists.
On being informed, Forest department officials reached the spot and recovered the carcass. The length of the carcass is about 16 feet and width 9 feet.
Scientists Rajesh Pradhan and Subal Kumar Raul from the city-based Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) examined the carcass, which was buried after veterinarians conducted a post-mortem.
Whale shark, a rare sea animal, has been categorised as a schedule-1 marine creature by the Wildlife Protection Act 1971, said a forest department official.
“Initially, we thought it was the carcass of a whale. But, later we came to know that it belongs to shark species,” he added.
“The whale shark might have died of hunger as its stomach was found empty during post-mortem. However, we are yet to come to a conclusion,” said Puri Divisional Forest Official Harshabardhan Udgata.
Locals, however, say that the shark might have been hit or wounded by turbines of motorised fishing trawlers. Others suspected that the sea creature might have died due to tremors that rocked the Bali islands last week.
CMFRI senior scientist Reeta Jayshankar claimed that whale shark is the largest marine fish in the world. “Whale sharks can grow up to 55 feet and 19 tonne. They usually feed on plankton and other fishes and live up to 70 years. Whale sharks prefer deep water,” Jayshankar added.
Earlier, a 40-ft long baleen whale was found dead at Balukhand beach here February 17 this year. The marine mammal’s carcass was lying at a beach near Balukhand-Konark wildlife sanctuary.
Moreover, the carcass of a 15-ft long whale was found at Harachandi estuary near Brahmagiri in November 2009. A 32-ft carcass of a sperm whale had been recovered at Keluni estuary near Astarang December 3, 2014. The skeleton of the whale has been preserved at the Regional Museum of Natural History in Bhubaneswar.
The carcass of another sperm whale measuring 30-ft was found at a beach near Gouda Nuagoan in Krushnaprasad block of Puri district December 26, 2014. Similarly, a 32-ft sperm whale was found dead near Rushikulya estuary in Kantiagarh in Ganjam district February 3, 2016.
Post News Network/Agencies