Carcass of adult whale washes ashore off Ekkiyarkuppam coast

A Forest Department official said the whale seemed to have died several days ago and was washed ashore during high tide; it was buried at the beach

The carcass was in a highly decomposed state, officials said

The carcass of an adult whale was washed ashore off the Ekkiyarkuppam coast near Marakkanam in the district on Thursday.

Following information from fishermen, officials from the Forest Department inspected the carcass. Due to its huge size and the condition of the carcass, which was in a highly decomposed stage, it was buried on the beach.

According to a Forest Department official, based on the condition of the carcass, the whale seemed to have died several days ago and was washed ashore during high tide. The carcass was 22 metres long with a circumference of over two metres, he said.

“It is suspected to be an adult blue whale. Sightings have been recorded on the Marakkanam coast a few years ago. The whale could have died in the high seas after being hit by ships. Since the carcass is extremely decayed, it is difficult to ascertain the species,” said a biologist with Zoological Survey of India.