Huge \'sperm whale\' found washed ashore near Rameswaram

Rameswaram: A huge toothed whale, called 'sperm whale' was found in a decomposed state off the Aatrankarai beach near Azhagankulam near here along the Ramanathapuram sea coast.

The whale was 18 feet long and weighed one and a half tonnes, forest ranger Satheesh said.

On information, the Forest department personnel rushed to the spot, brought the carcass to the beach, did a spot post-mortem and buried the huge mammal near the sea-coast. A mobile crane was brought to the shore to lift the carcass of the massive mammal.  

Since the head and another part of the 'sperm whale' contains a white fluid that is used in medicinal preparations and in making candles etc., the Forest department personnel are investigating whether it was killed by commercial whalers, or whether the whale had accidentally hit any rock in the shallow coastline and died, said Mr. Satheesh.

PAMBAN FISHERS PUT OUT TO SEA

Meanwhile, a section of the Rameswarm mechanised boats fishermen from Pamban area put out to the sea for fishing in the Gulf of Mannar sea on Sunday morning after an arrangement was worked with the shrimp exporters, sources here said.

All the fishermen had decided to resume fishing operations only from June 15 as export activities had not picked up, but with the Ramanathapuram district collector holding a meeting with shrimp exporters where an understanding was reached, Pamban mechanised boats fishermen decided to resume fishing from today.