Porpoise washes ashore on Juhu beach in Mumbai

MUMBAI: A dead porpoise washed ashore at Juhu beach on Friday.
Marine experts and officials of the mangrove cell of the forest department said that they are further inquiring into it.
The head of the mangrove cell, Virendra Tiwari, said, "The rotting carcass is of a porpoise, and not of a dolphin as initially believed. During monsoon season, a few dead marine fishes, mammals and other species do wash ashore, however, the causes of deaths are not clear."
Honorary wildlife warden and founder of Resqink Association for Wildlife Welfare (RAWW), Pawan Sharma, said, "In 2021, around four instances of strandings of dolphins and porpoises were reported in the city. Areas like Juhu, Versova, Gorai, Bandra, Cuff Parade, Nariman Point are some of the common places where strandings have been witnessed over the past few years."
Sharma added that other than dolphins and porpoises, sea turtles and whales are also seen on the coast in the past.
The Mangrove Cell of the Maharashtra State Forest Department has been working on studying and investigating such Marine Strandings of various species of marine wildlife with Mangrove Foundation, scientists, researchers, students, citizens and like-minded organizations with its initiative called Marine Respondents.
Maximum times the carcass which are recovered are partially or fully decomposed due to which a detailed necropsy is not possible, this is quite common as the body parts of marine wildlife post stranding start decomposing outside water and are scavenged on by other birds and animals around.