A 35-foot-long blue whale was found dead near Kuntani, along the remote coastline of Gwatar Bay between Pakistan and Iran, raising concerns among marine conservationists.
Local fisherman Ahmad Baloch, fishing in the area, reported the sighting of the whale’s carcass floating in the water. According to WWF-Pakistan, the whale likely died several days ago in the open sea and was carried to shore by strong currents and rough waves.
While the exact cause of death has not been confirmed, experts believe the whale may have become entangled in gillnets — large fishing nets commonly used in the region. These nets seriously threaten marine mammals like whales, dolphins, and turtles.
The deceased whale is thought to be a pygmy blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus brevicauda), one of the subspecies found in the northern Indian Ocean. Pakistan’s coastal waters are home to three known baleen whale species: the blue whale, Bryde’s whale, and the Arabian humpback whale.
Muhammad Moazzam Khan, Technical Advisor at WWF-Pakistan, called the incident “a sad day for the global conservation community.” He emphasized that the blue whale is classified as an endangered species, and its presence in Pakistani waters highlights the urgent need for better protection.
“All cetaceans, including whales and dolphins, are protected under the wildlife laws of Sindh and Balochistan,” Khan noted. “However, there is an urgent need to introduce federal legislation to protect these species in Pakistan’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).”
This is not the first time a blue whale has been recorded off Pakistan’s coast. The last sighting occurred on April 8, 2024, near Gaddani, Balochistan.
