Dolphin found washed ashore

It was identified as an Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin

March 11, 2020 01:29 am | Updated 01:29 am IST - CHENNAI

A dolphin was found washed ashore at Alambarai Kuppam on Tuesday.

The mammal was identified as an Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin.

Residents and members of the Sea Turtle Protection Force (STPF) at Alambarai Kuppam spotted the dolphin and informed officials of the Kancheepuram Forest Department.

Supraja Dharini, chairperson of the TREE Foundation, said the dolphin was 56 inches long and weighed around 500 kg.

It was found to have flippers 74-inch long. There were wounds near its head, she said.

Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins inhabit coastal waters in tropical to warm-temperate regions, and enter rivers, mangroves and estuaries.

They are at risk from factors that also threaten other cetaceans, such as entanglement in fishing nets, pollution and the depletion of fish stocks worldwide, a press release from the TREE Foundation said.

Based on instructions from the forest range officer of the Chengalpattu range, the dolphin was buried at a distance above the high tide line with the help of the local fishing community.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.