Maharashtra: Whale carcass buried on Alibaug beach

Another carcass of a whale was discovered on Thursday, drifting close to Alibaug beach in Raigad district of Maharashtra. This is the third case of a giant whale beaching on the shores, with the state government and other agencies yet to investigate the cause and formulate mitigative measures. 

In the latest incident, a 15-feet-long severely decomposed body of a whale was spotted riding the waves close to Alibaug beach by local fishermen. 

"The carcass was bloated with its internals spilled out and had several fish bites on it. It was highly decomposed and carried a foul stench with it, which could be sensed almost two kilometers away," local fisherman Dhananjay Kalok said.

According to locals, with assistance from the state forest department, the carcass was fished out and buried in the nearby forest cover. While, the species of the dead whale was not identified successfully it was believed to be a humpback, commonly found  in the warm, temperate waters of the Arabian Sea. 

Meanwhile, Maharashtra's Environment Minister Ramdas Kadam remained unavailable to comment on the incident.

There seems to be no end to the mysterious appearances of dead marine creatures along the western coastline of Maharashtra. Previously, carcass of a behemoth 42-feet-long blue whale and a humpback had washed ashore the shorelines of the district, apart from the dozen and more bodies of dolphins found in and around Mumbai. 

The unexplained appearances of rare and near-extinct species of dead marine mammals continues to bewilder marine biologists and conservationists. 

Also read: Beached blue whale cremated, after initial burial fails

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