Dolphin carcass washes ashore Marine Drive; 7th since June
MUMBAI: The carcass of a threeand-a-half foot juvenile dolphin washed ashore at Marine Drive, opposite Marine Lines station on Tuesday evening.
This is the seventh dolphin case over the past three months, 13th marine mammal death in the city this year, and 94th since 2016.
The state mangrove cell said the species was an Indian Ocean Humpback Dolphin. “The carcass washed ashore around 5pm during high tide...the body was decomposed,” said Makarand Ghodke, assistant conservator of forest, state mangrove cell. “An autopsy cannot be carried out on such a carcass and it was buried at Mulund.”
HT had reported on Thursday that after numerous cases of dead marine animals along the Mumbai coastline, the Maharashtra forest department will begin a five-year-long study using noise monitoring instruments at sea.
The project is expected to begin in November, which will study the population, behaviour and threats to marine animals.
A marine biologist from the National Institute of Oceanography said that a field study needs to be initiated soon. “There seems to be some toxicity along the Mumbai coastline that has led to dolphin deaths due to respiratory infection. The state needs to send divers and scientists to investigate within the 12 nautical mile radius,” the official said.