In a major marine tragedy, 45 pilot whales, each weighing one to 1.5 tonne, were found dead near Manapad, a
scenic coastal village near Thoothukudi (Tuticorin) in Tamil Nadu, after they got stranded on the beach in the wee hours of Tuesday.
Though a total of 81 whales got beached, villagers, fishermen and Government officials made a concerted effort and managed to save 36 whales by ensuring their return to the sea. “We used all the boats available in the village to tow them
back into the deep sea,” said Issac, an official of the fisheries department, over phone from Manapad.
He added a high tide confused the leader who in turn misled the pod towards the beach only to be stranded there.
“They lost their way after getting disoriented and landed up on the beach,” said Issac.
He also pointed out that there is a strong bond between the leader and the other members of the pod. “This is similar to elephants which live in a herd and where the leader commands respect,” he said.
He said a similar tragedy took place in 1973 at Kallimozhi near Manapad when 125 Pilot whales got beached and died due to suffocation and dehydration.
Dr Raffi Mohammed, a marine scientist with Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies, said Pilot whales tend to lose their way in certain circumstances
“What happened in 1973 was one such incident. They are prone to getting stranded and we are yet to find the reason behind it,” said Dr Mohammed.
Scientists said whales swim against the current and as such they tend to travel towards the shore when the water recedes after high tide. In some cases, they come too close to the shore and get stranded.