Melon-headed whale rescued near Kalpakkam

CHENNAI: Volunteers of Tree Foundation found a stranded sub-adult melon-headed whale (Peponocephala electra) in the intertidal waters near Perunduravu fishing village, south of Kalpakkam, and released it into the sea, on Friday morning.

Supraja Dharini of Tree Foundation said that despite fishermen's initial efforts to guide the whale back into deeper waters, it repeatedly stranded itself.

"Understanding the urgency, members of Tree Foundation Pandiyan and Vignesh carried the whale beyond the breakers and successfully released it into the sea. They observed from the shore for an hour to ensure the whale did not re-strand, and it eventually swam away," she added.

The rescued whale measured about 5 feet in length and weighed over 100 kilograms.

The whale had injuries, including wounds on the tip of its snout and a small swelling below the left eye. These injuries are often caused by entanglement in fishing nets, a common threat to marine mammals in the region, she said.

"The recent increase in purse seine net fishing along the coast following the lifting of a ban has heightened these risks. Melon-headed whales, closely related to pygmy and false killer whales, are often mistaken for them. Like all marine mammals, they are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, " she explained.