When the whales came calling home

Dubai: The rare Bryde's Whale found dead off the coast of Jebel Ali could indicate that the UAE's waters are part of the species' migratory route, according to a municipality marine expert.

Mohammad Abdul Rahman Hassan, head of the marine unit at Dubai Municipality's environment department, said yesterday that the 10 tonne adult male was the second Bryde's Whale found dead in Dubai's waters after one was retrieved from Al Mamzar last year.

However, Dr Saif Al Ghais, marine biologist at UAE University, said that Bryde's whales are not commonly found in the Arabian Gulf. "Whales are rare but can be found occasionally [in the colder months] starting from October. They enter the Gulf probably accidentaly, but there is no Gulf population."