On Sunday, November 2, we were alerted by the Marine Environmental Office of Hormozgan Province and the Environmental Office of Qeshm regarding a whale stranded on Qeshm Island, in the village of Naqasheh. We traveled to Naqasheh to conduct the necessary investigations.
The stranded whale was a male dwarf sperm whale, measuring a Total length of 2.33 meters and weighing around 225 kilograms. Our examinations revealed that the whale was adult and male. Despite initial reports of bleeding, further investigations showed that the dark substance expelled from the whale's anus was the squid-like ink this species uses to defend against predators such as sharks and orcas. This substance is stored in a sac in its intestines and is released as a defense mechanism.
No injuries or wounds were observed on the whale’s body, and the cause of death remains undetermined due to the lack of necessary facilities for tissue and microbiological testing. Local reports indicated that villagers had attempted to return the whale to the water just a day prior. This action could have been useless to the whale and underscores the need for proper education on the protection of stranded marine mammals. Therefore, raising awareness in local communities about this issue is essential to prevent the recurrence of such ineffective actions.
