Chennai: A female adult shortfin pilot whale was found dead by the rescue team of Tree Foundation on the Sadra Kuppam beach on Thursday evening. The whale was not in a decomposed position indicating that it had died recently. Tree Foundation has been recording marine mammal stranding since 2009 and this is the first time the death of a shortfin pilot whale has been recorded.
The whale was 9-feet long and weighed over one ton. Its flipper measured 24 inches long and 22 inches wide. The tail was 36 inches wide. There was an injury on the underside of the left lower jaw and below the eye and many shallow cut marks on the front part of the body.
Dr P. Dhandapani, retired chief of the Marine Biological Station at the Zoological Survey of India identified the species based on its teeth count and its long sleek body and small head which resembles that of Risso's dolphin.
