Kottayam: A massive whale carcass, measuring approximately 30 metres, was found washed up on the shore at Pazhayangadi in Alappuzha’s Purakkad panchayat on Tuesday evening. Officials believe the humpback whale likely died within the past week.
Though the body shows limited decomposition, a strong foul odour is pervading the area. Forest department authorities have collected tissue samples and sent them to the forensic science laboratory for chemical analysis to determine the cause of death.
With no protective sea wall in the region, the carcass was swept directly onto the beach by the waves. The incident has drawn large crowds of curious onlookers, eager to catch a glimpse of the rare sight.
Interestingly, this marks the second such occurrence in recent days—just three days ago, another dead whale was discovered at Poonthura, located barely 2 kilometres from this spot.
Purakkad panchayat president A S Sudarsan confirmed that the district collector and other relevant authorities have been notified to initiate necessary steps.
The back-to-back strandings have triggered concern among marine biologists and locals alike, raising questions about what might be causing these mysterious deaths.