GWADAR: A 30-foot blue whale was found dead Wednesday near Gwadar East Bay, two days after it was first sighted swimming in the waters off this southwestern coastal city, marine conservationists said.
The whale's carcass washed ashore after currents carried it toward the coast, where relatively shallow waters may have contributed to the animal becoming stranded, according to WWF-Pakistan.
M. Moazzam Khan, a technical adviser for WWF-Pakistan, said the death of a large whale is a worrying development for marine biodiversity. Preliminary assessments suggest the animal may have entered shallow waters where its ability to navigate was compromised, causing it to lose its way and drift toward the coast. The actual cause of death remains unknown, and WWF has launched further investigations.
The stranding is the latest in a series of whale deaths along Pakistan's coastline.
In April 2019, a whale measuring about 34 feet was found dead along the Gwadar coast. A 42-foot whale was discovered dead at Bandari beach in Jiwani in May 2023, and a 27-foot Bryde's whale was found dead near Pasni in November of that year. In June 2024, a whale measuring roughly 35 feet was found floating dead near Kantani, Gwadar.
Conservationists say the repeated strandings underscore the vulnerabilities facing marine life in the region and have renewed concerns about the health of Pakistan's fragile marine ecosystem.
