Unusual sighting: Gigantic blue whale along with calf filmed off Churna Island

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KARACHI: A huge mother blue whale and her calf were spotted on Balochistan’s Chorna Island on September 11, much to the surprise of experts.

This is the first sighting of a live blue whale in Pakistani waters.

WWF-Pakistan trained captain Saeed Zaman was fishing for tuna when he saw a huge animal with its cub in the water.

According to the fisherman, the mother whale was around 17 meters in length, which was the same size as their fishing boat, while the calf was rarely seen so its size could not be estimated.

Earlier, several skeletal remains and coastal blue whales were reported from Pakistani waters. The last such dead specimen was seen on 11 August 2014 at Khodi Creek along the Indus coast.

Although 47 sightings of baleen whales were reported off the coast of Pakistan in 2016, none of them could be attributed to blue whales. It may be noted that on September 10, trained fishermen of WWF Pakistan recorded the first live pair of sperm whales from Gonz, Balochistan.

The blue whale is considered to be the largest animal ever to exist on this planet with a length of about 30 meters. The global population of this species is estimated to be between 10,000 and 25,000 and is considered Endangered according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.

A blue whale usually gives birth once every two to three years after a gestation period of 10 to 12 months.

A calf weighs about 2.5 tons and is usually about 7 meters long. Despite having a large body, the blue whale’s diet consists mostly of small shrimp-like animals called krill or pelagic shrimp.

According to experts, at certain times of the year, an adult blue whale eats about 4 tons of krill per day. There are several species of pelagic shrimp found in the Arabian Sea which may account for the presence of this animal in these waters.

According to Mohammad Muazzam Khan, Technical Advisor (Marine Fisheries), WWF-Pakistan’s first live record of blue whale sighting and that too with a calf is a remarkable indication of the diverse marine life on Pakistan’s coast.

He attributed the recent increase in whale sightings to the effective monitoring of WWF-Pakistan’s crew-based observer programme. More than 100 fishermen, mainly skippers, were deployed by WWF-Pakistan to record sightings of megafauna (whales, dolphins, whale sharks, mobleda rays, turtles and sunfish) as well as any entanglements. Trained to ensure safe release of such animals. . Fishermen trained through this program have so far released 60 whale sharks, 45 mobolds, 25 sunfish, 6 dolphins, a finless porpoise, 5 whales, 25 sea snakes, 5 masked bobbies (seabirds) and thousands of sea turtles. are

Rab Nawaz, Senior Director Programs, WWF-Pakistan appreciated the efforts of the fishermen in recording the clip.

He pointed out that Chorna Island and its immediate surroundings are biodiversity hotspots. It is a major habitat for large whales, whale sharks and sunfish, as well as coral, which needs to be protected.

WWF-Pakistan is working with several NGOs, the Ministry of Climate Change and the Department of Forests and Wildlife, Government of Balochistan, to declare Chorna Island as a Marine Protected Area.

He urged all stakeholders to declare the island as an MPA as soon as possible to protect and preserve the biological hotspot, blue whales and other marine animals whose population is declining so that the area can be protected. I can continue feeding, breeding and biscuits.