Dwarf sperm whale rescued after stranding in Sindhudurg district

A dwarf sperm whale was discovered stranded at Tondavli near Sarjekot in Maharashtras Sindhudurg district sparking a rescue operation to return the marine mammal to deeper watersThe incident occurred along the coast of Sindhudurg a region located southeast of Mumbai known for its scenic beaches and rich marine life Local authorities and rescuers swiftly responded to the stranding which posed a significant challenge for the whalersquos safe return to the oceanThe stranded whale was carefully placed on a boat by rescuers to minimise stress and potential harm to the animal The team has successfully begun the process of transporting the whale to deeper waters approximately 15 meters in depth where it will be released back into its natural habitatThe dwarf sperm whale a species known for its elusive nature and deepwater dwelling habits is rarely spotted near shorelinesSindhudurg located along Maharashtras western coastline is home to diverse marine species making it a crucial area for conservation effortsMaharashtra Firstever largescale underwater cleanup removes 300 kg of marine debris from Sindhudurg coral reefsIn what can be called an important initiative theMaharashtra Pollution Control BoardMPCB Fisheries Survey of India UNDP Mangrove Cell and NGO Vanashakti removed 300 kg of marine debris from a 150 MTR radius near Sindhudurg Fort coral reefsDirector of NGO VanashaktiStalin Dsaid Around 300 kg of marine debris was removed from a 150 MTR radius near Sindhudurg fort coral reefs Scuba divers from Malwan came forward in full support as their livelihood was getting impacted Tourists were getting to see dirty sections of corals littered with ghost nets and nondegradable trash Now the section looks clean Vanashakti will continue this project to ensure the entire marine floor on the Malwan shore is clean This project is titled Clean ShoresEnvironmentalist Stalin D told MidDay that this is the first time that an underwater Ocean floor cleanup operation has been undertaken in India andMaharashtraon a large scaleOcean floors and coral reefs are being strangulated with huge quantities of marine debris Marine animals like crabs fish and turtles get stuck in the debris and perish painfully The entire ecosystem gets seriously contaminated Ghost nets left or broken during fishing operations float and are brought to the corals by the currents They damage the corals and also are an eyesore for tourists who flock toMalwanto see corals and understand marine ecosystemsStalin also said that the task of cleaning the ocean floor is very laborious and needs extensive manpowerSkilled divers are needed to retrieve the marine debris The cost of this exercise of retrieving marine debris is an expensive one Due to the challenges posed underwater the extraction of nets and putting them into bundles takes a lot of time We are thankful to the Maharashtra State Environment department especially MPCB which has been very sensitive to this issue and has agreed to support the initiative on a longterm basis The local fishermen are very happy to see this initiative as it helps boost healthy fisheries Institutions like the Fisheries Survey of India have also lent their support to this initiative The drives will continue over the next year and we are sure that it will create healthy ecosystem marine zones in Sindhudurg Stalin said