Dead blue whale washes ashore at Gwadar's East Bay; WWF-Pakistan investigates

A dead blue whale has washed ashore at East Bay in Gwadar, behind the Coast Guard office, ProPakistani reported on Thursday, 5 November. The blue whale is the largest animal that has ever lived; this one was estimated at about 30 feet (around 9 metres) long.

Local people said the whale had been seen swimming off Gwadar for two days before it was found stranded on the beach on Thursday.

Why it may have died

Muhammad Moazzam Khan, technical adviser at WWF-Pakistan, said the whale probably lost its way after entering shallow water, where its ability to navigate may have been affected. WWF-Pakistan has started an investigation into the cause of death.

Blue whales have stranded on Pakistan's coast before, Khan said, and WWF-Pakistan keeps a record of every whale stranding along the coast.

How big is a 30-foot blue whale?

At about 9 metres, this was a young animal. Adult blue whales usually reach 24 to 30 metres, three times as long, and can weigh well over 100 tonnes.

If you find a stranded whale or dolphin

• Keep people, vehicles and dogs back from the animal.
• Do not try to pull it back into the sea by its tail or fins.
• If it is alive, keep its skin wet with seawater, keeping water away from the blowhole.
• Report it to the district administration and to WWF-Pakistan, with photos and the exact location.