Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Two Risso’s dolphins washed ashore


Chennai:
Two Risso’s dolphins washed ashore at Akkarai and Panayur beach along Chennai’s coast on Monday.
TREE Foundation’s chairperson Supraja Dharini said that the first carcass of the dolphin was found near the shore in Akkarai between Injambakkam and Panayur village and the other at Panayur.
Risso’s Dolphin has a distinctive beakless head shape and a body that is noticeably more robust in the front half than in the back. They are normally found in the deep ocean.
Marine biologist C Gnanasekar said that the dolphins could have died after getting entangled in gill net.
The dolphin at Akkarai was 7.5 feet in length and would approximately weigh around 240kg. The dolphin at Panayur was 8.2 feet and over 30 kgs. Both the specimens had three pairs of round teeth nand intestines were detached from the stomach for one but for the one at Panayur, the stomach was intact.
TREE Foundation has been recording unusual number of cetacean (dolphins, whales and porpoises) ands ea turtles strandings from December 2013, said Supraja.

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