Tamil Nadu: 4.5 meter long whale shark washed ashore near Vembar in Tuticorin

MADURAI: The carcass of a 4.5 meter long whale shark (Rhincodan typhus) was washed ashore near Vembar village – that is about 65 kms away from Tuticorin city – close to the Ramanathapuram border on Wednesday. The fish that weighed about a tonne was spotted floating in the shallow waters about 50 meters off the shore in the Gulf of Mannar, Bay of Bengal.
Since there were no noticeable external injuries – such as hit by a fishing boat or caught in a fishing net or hook while poaching – the forest department suspects that the nearly five-year-old could have died of some disease. The species that has presence in the Gulf of Mannar is protected under Schedule I of The Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

"Forest department personnel spotted the whale shark while patrolling in the morning and went close to it in a bid to rescue. But on examining the motionless creature they confirmed that it was dead and brought it ashore for autopsy," forest range officer for Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park R Raghuvaran said.
The range officer said that it could have died about three to four days ago and that the internal organs had started to decay when it was opened for autopsy in the afternoon. After autopsy was performed by the Soorangudi government veterinarian, forest department personnel poured acid and a stock of bleaching powder in the carcass.
A pit was dug using an earth mover about 50 meters away from the sea, where the carcass was buried. Fisherfolk of Vembar and nearby areas thronged the shore to have a look the huge fish they were seeing for the first time. This is the third incident of a whale shark washed ashore in the Gulf of Mannar in the Tuticorin – Ramanathapuram region.
In the first week of April an 18.8-feet-long (5.7 meters) whale shark was washed ashore at Inigo Nagar near Tuticorin city. In the first week of March a 15-feet-long whale shark was washed ashore live near Dhanushkodi in Ramanathapuram district and was stuck in sandy waters. It swam back to the sea with the high tide.