Dead blue whale found off Pakistan-Iran coast near Balochistan

A 35-foot-long blue whale was found lifeless on Monday in Gwater Bay, a remote coastal area between Pakistan and Iran, with experts suspecting it may have perished after becoming trapped in fishing nets.

A local fisherman, Ahmad Baloch, spotted the carcass floating near Kuntani, Balochistan, while out fishing and reported the sighting.

The whale may have died a few days back in the open waters between Pakistan and Iran, and it drifted towards the bay under the influence of a rough sea and strong currents, according to a statement issued by WWF-Pakistan.

Although the cause of the death is not ascertained so far, it seems the animal might have gotten entangled in gillnets that are used for catching fish in the coastal and offshore waters in the area.

Blue whale, scientifically called Balaenoptera musculus, is one of three baleen whales reported from Pakistani waters.

The other two whales are the Bryde’s whale and the Arabian humpback whale.

There are four subspecies of blue whales, of which two include the pygmy blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus brevicauda) and the Indian Ocean blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus indica) found in the Northern Indian Ocean.

Considering its small size, this dead blue whale sighted at Kuntani may be a pygmy blue whale.

Muhammad Moazzam Khan, Technical Advisor, WWF-Pakistan, expressed concerns over the mortality of the blue whale and termed it sad news for the conservation community around the world.

He shared that the blue whale is known to be distributed in tropical and subtropical waters of the Indian Ocean.

Khan emphasised that this whale is categorised as an endangered species and urgent steps are required for its conservation.

Now all cetaceans, including whales and dolphins, are protected under the wildlife and fisheries legislations of Sindh and Balochistan.

He also stressed to enact federal legislation for the protection of cetaceans, including whales, in the Exclusive Economic Zone of Pakistan.

There are many records of the occurrence of blue whales in Pakistan; the last blue whale was spotted off Gaddani, Balochistan, on April 8, 2024. 

Blue whales are the largest animals ever known to have existed. Blue whales can reach up to 33 metres in length and weigh up to 190 tonnes.

— With additional input from APP