18-Feet Whale Washed Ashore On Tamil Nadu Beach

by Sanjana Shenoy
18-Feet Whale Washed Ashore On Tamil Nadu Beach

A giant 18-feet-long sperm whale washed ashore on Tamil Nadu’s Aatrankarai beach. The Forest officials are conducting an investigation to find out if it died of natural causes or was a prey to poachers. After a postmortem, Forest officials buried the carcass near the sea coast. The investigations continue to deduce if its death was caused by commercial whalers or natural circumstances.

18 feet whale tamil nadu beach
Picture Credits: gulfnews.com

18-Feet Long Whale Carcass Found Ashore On Tamil Nadu Beach

A huge toothed whale, called ‘sperm whale’ which measured 18 feet long, was found in a decomposed state, off the Aatrankarai beach near Azhagankulam along the Ramanathapuram sea coast. This whale weighed one and a half tonnes, according to the Forest rangers. Upon receiving the information, the Forest department rushed to the spot. They brought the carcass to the beach, did a post-mortem and later buried the mammal near the sea-coast.

18 feet whale tamil nadu beach
Picture Credits: timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Also Read: This 1,000-Yr Old Shiva Temple In Tamil Nadu Is World’s First All-Granite Temple

Tit-Bits About Sperm Whales

Here’s a little information about these magnificent mammals. Sperm whales in nature, are easily recognized by their massive heads and prominent rounded foreheads. Sperm whales have the largest brain of any creature known to live on Earth. Their heads also hold large quantities of a substance called spermaceti and the source of their names. Once believed that the oily fluid was sperm, but scientists still do not understand the function of spermaceti.  If you like whale watching then you can Watch The Whales From Up & Close In Mauritius

18 feet whale tamil nadu beach

These toothed whales eat thousands of pounds of fish and squid, about one ton per day. They are often spotted in groups called pods, of some 15 to 20 animals. The males migrate to higher latitudes, alone or in groups, and head back towards the equator to breed. They can cruise the oceans at around 23 miles per hour. Did you know Kerala Now Has The World’s First Marine Cemetery In Kozhikode?

18 feet whale tamil nadu beach

Speculations: Natural Death or Prey To Poachers?

The Forest Department is investigating into the matter. The head and another part of the sperm whale contains a white fluid. This is used in medicinal preparations and also in candle-making. The Forest department personnel are investigating. They are doing this to find out if it was killed by commercial whalers or whether the whale had accidentally hit any rock in the shallow coastline and died. This might have happened unintentionally but Denmark’s Gruesome Mass Whale Slaughter Ritual, Grindadráp Enrages The World

18 feet whale tamil nadu beach
Picture Credits: deccanchronicle.com

Speaking to the media, Forest Officer Sathish was quoted as saying, ‘These are less common in the Palkpay and the Gulf of Mannar, and only four have been seen in the past four years. It is wrong to catch such rare creatures. It violates the 1972 Wildlife Protection Act, under which imprisonment ranges from 3 years to 7 years. Therefore, when such fish are found in the sea, I request the fishermen to inform the forest department and take steps to save the fish.’  Do keep in mind to take care of marine life. And if you like whales then this  Whale In Norway Is Going To Transform Your Whale Watching Experience