A blue whale, approximately 35 feet long, was discovered dead in Gwatar Bay, a remote region between Pakistan and Iran, on Monday. Ahmad Baloch, a local fisherman, reported seeing the carcass near Kuntani, Balochistan.
According to WWF-Pakistan, the whale may have died a few days earlier in open seawaters and drifted to Gwatar Bay due to strong currents and rough seas. While the exact cause of death remains uncertain, experts suspect that gillnets commonly used in the region’s coastal and offshore fishing waters might have entangled the whale.
The blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus), the largest animal to have ever existed, is classified as endangered. This species inhabits the tropical and subtropical waters of the Indian Ocean and joins the Bryde’s whale and Arabian humpback whale as one of three baleen whales recorded in Pakistani waters. The discovery of this whale, which may belong to the pygmy blue whale subspecies (Balaenoptera musculus brevicauda), is a rare but tragic incident.
Muhammad Moazzam Khan, Technical Advisor for WWF-Pakistan, expressed profound concern over the mortality of the whale, describing it as a saddening loss for conservation efforts worldwide. He emphasized the urgent need for federal legislation to protect cetaceans, including whales and dolphins, within Pakistan’s Exclusive Economic Zone.
He also acknowledged that existing wildlife and fisheries legislation in the Sindh and Balochistan provinces protects cetaceans, including whales and dolphins. However, strengthening federal protections could enhance conservation measures in areas such as Gwatar Bay, where interactions between marine species and human activities are common.
The last reported sighting of a live blue whale in Pakistan occurred near Gaddani, Balochistan, on April 8, 2024.
Blue whales can grow up to 33 meters in length and weigh up to 190 tonnes, but their dwindling population highlights the urgent need for collective global action to ensure the protection of these marine giants and their habitats.
