Baby Humpback Washes Up At Mumbais Carter Road Dies Despite Rescue Efforts

Labourers working for Mumbai’s Bandra-Versova Sea Link project woke up to an unusual sight on Saturday morning as a baby humpback whale was found stranded between the rocks along the shores of Carter Road. The incident came to light around 6 am near Otters Club, where the Bandra-Versova Sea Link road work is underway. According to preliminary reports, the 26-foot-tall calf was alive and seen writhing as it lay on the rocky shores. After the labourers raised an alarm, teams from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, Mumbai Fire Brigade, and the forest department's Mangrove North Konkan Cell were dispatched to the site. Speaking to The Indian Express, an official from the mangrove cell's West Mumbai range said, "After workers from the Apco work site flagged the whale sighting, we reached the spot and noted that the baby humpback whale had washed up on the rocks amid heavy tides. Initially, we tried to support the whale and push it back into the water. However, the mammal wasn't moving. Later, we sent in our teams and fishermen who inspected its body." As the humpback whale appeared immobile, it was extracted from the waters using a crane. Personnel from the Coastal Police also supervised the operation. "After the whale was retrieved, it was examined by doctors, who declared the animal dead," said the official. The humpback whale’s carcass was transported to Versova's shores, where it was buried in the sand. Samples sent for postmortem Officials have yet to determine what caused the whale to wash ashore. "We have recorded the samples and sent them for a postmortem in our lab to ascertain the cause," said an official. In Mumbai, it is unusual for such mammals to wash ashore along the sea. "Generally, dolphins and whales wash up on the shoreline in cases where they have incurred injuries," an official from the forest department said.