Fishermen near Balochistan’s coastline experienced an extraordinary event when they spotted a giant whale roughly three kilometres off Gwadar.
According to the fishermen, the whale was around 100 feet long and 50 feet wide, with an estimated weight exceeding 150 tonnes.
While whale sightings along Balochistan’s coast are not rare, with deceased whales frequently washing ashore, this instance marked the first time a whale was observed near the shores of Gadani. The fishermen’s video captured their excitement, with some cautioning against getting too close due to potential danger and others humorously mistaking the whale for a shark.
This year also saw the unfortunate death of an Indo-Pacific finless dolphin on Gwadar’s coast, which was caught in a fishing net in February. The fishermen brought the dolphin ashore entangled in the net, leaving it there due to its lack of commercial value.
Furthermore, WWF data revealed that last year, six Indo-Pacific finless porpoises died from gillnet entanglements in Pakistan, three of which occurred in Gwadar. Additionally, a 27-foot-long Bryde’s whale was found dead on Balochistan’s remote coast between Pasni and Shumal Bundar, highlighting marine life’s ongoing challenges.
