12 metre-long whale carcass found off Sir Bu Nair coast
Collision with tanker suspected to be the cause of death
Sharjah: A baby whale carcass measuring 12 metres has been found floating off the shores near Sir Bu Nair Island, an official said on Monday.
The carcass was spotted on March 8 by a fisherman who reported the find to UAE Coast Guard around 6am.
Hana Saif Al Suwaidi, chairman of the Environment and Protected Areas Authority in Sharjah, told Gulf News that the Sir Bu Nair Centre for Marine Research immediately towed the whale’s body to the shore.
Al Suwaidi said the humpback whale is found in the ocean waters stretching from Asia to the Horn of Africa.
Initial examination is leading marine authorities to speculate the whale died from injuries sustained from collision with a tanker.
The whale’s carcass is believed to have been pushed into the emirate’s waters and towards the island area by strong sea currents, Coast Guard officials informed Environment and Protected Areas Authority in Sharjah.
The centre has also taken DNA samples of the whale for scientific studies and research while the remains were buried.
“We contact international scientific research centre about this whale to get information about it and list it among the data in our centre for studies,” Al Suwaidi said.