GWADAR: A giant blue whale has been found dead in Balochistan’s waters near the coast of Jiwani in Gwadar district.

The carcass was found by local fishermen on Friday morning.

The dead whale was swept close to the shore of Bandri near Jiwani due to high waves, officials of the fisheries department said.

According to the WWF senior resear­cher Sudhir Baloch, the blue whale was 42 feet long, weighing more than 20 tonnes.

WWF Technical Advi­sor Muhammad Muazzam Khan Durrani said the blue whale was one of the rarest aquatic creatures and added that the reasons for death were being ascertained.

“The body of the whale was taken into custody by the WWF team and DNA samples have been colle­c­ted for analysis,” he said.

While people were calling it a rare occurrence, Abdul Rahim Baloch, a marine life expert said the blue whale is a marine mammal that has been frequently sighted off the coast of Makran.

Mr Baloch said the animal has a confirmed maximum leng­th of 29.9 metres and a weight of up to 199 tonnes. The Gwadar Develop­ment Authority plans to preserve the remains of the dead whale.

Published in Dawn, May 27TH, 2023