Another carcass of a whale washed ashore on Odisha coast at Rushikulya rookery near Purunabandha in Ganjam district on Thursday.
Forest officials are worried over possibility of contamination of this mass nesting beach of endangered Olive Ridley turtles by the decomposed carcasses of whales in recent days.
The whale was about six-feet-long and was badly decomposed. Initially it was suspected to be a beaked whale. But marine mammal expert Dipani Sutaria, after studying the photographs of the carcass opined that it may be a large dolphin. Forest officials, who took custody of the carcass, also feel it may be a dolphin. Speaking to The Hindu , Berhampur Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Ashis Behera said the mammal seems to have died in deep sea several days back. Its skin has started to peel off from the body. Forest officials seized the carcass for scientific study and its safe disposal. Forest department is concerned about Rushikulya rookery coast as mass nesting of Olive Ridley turtles is expected to start here in a week or two. Carcass of a 33 feet long sperm whale had reached the beach near Kantiagada at Rushikulya rookery coast on February 3. Forest department had buried up the carcass after its forensic and scientific study. “If we leave the carcass in the open for long contamination, from them can pose danger to the sea water, the beach as well as humans living nearby,” said the DFO.
It is fourth big marine mammal caracass reported from Odisha coast and second one from Rushikulya rookery coast since Feb 3, when the sperm whale carcass was found near Kantiagada. It was followed by discovery of a 66 feet long whale carcass at Chinchiria beach, an unmanned island under Rajnagar block of Kendrapara district on Feb 5. On Feb 9 morning body of an around 50 feet long whale had been located near Motagaon beach under Brahmagiri block of Puri district.
