First Sperm Whale Sighting Off Sindh Coast
The first sperm whale sighting off the Sindh coast has been recorded about 40 nautical miles south-west of Karachi, the World Wide Fund for Nature-Pakistan (WWF-Pakistan) said on Friday. The whale, estimated at around 45 feet long, was seen during an expedition by WWF-Pakistan board member Zahid Maker.
Footage of the encounter showed the whale’s characteristic blowhole, distinctive skin markings and prominent hump. Previous sightings of the species in Pakistan’s waters had been reported off the Balochistan coast in 2017.
WWF-Pakistan Senior Director Rab Nawaz said the sighting showed how important Pakistan’s offshore waters are for marine life. He said the organisation’s work pointed to a clear need to protect the marine habitats and food chains that sustain large species.
“Pakistan’s waters support an extraordinary diversity of marine life, much of which remains poorly understood and documented,” he said. He called for stronger conservation measures, responsible fishing practices and joint efforts to reduce pressure on marine ecosystems.
A deep-diving hunter
Sperm whales feed mainly on cephalopods, including different species of squid and octopus. In Pakistan’s coastal and offshore waters, their prey includes the purpleback flying squid and the diamondback squid.
The mammals are deep divers. They usually descend between 300 and 800 metres to forage, although they can reach depths of up to two kilometres. That hunting range puts them far below the surface waters where most fishing and shipping takes place.
The sperm whale is the largest toothed whale in the world. Adult males can grow longer than females, and the 45-foot animal seen off Sindh sits within the size range of a mature whale.
26 cetacean species in Pakistan’s waters
According to WWF-Pakistan, 26 cetacean species, including whales and dolphins, have been recorded in the country’s waters. The list includes blue whales, Bryde’s whales and Arabian Sea humpback whales, along with several species of toothed whales and dolphins.
The organisation said its research and monitoring work had also helped record several toothed whale species in Pakistan’s waters for the first time. It stressed that sustained research, monitoring, sustainable fishing and stronger conservation measures were needed to protect marine life in the Arabian Sea.
WWF-Pakistan was set up in 1970 to work on conservation challenges affecting the country’s wildlife and people. The non-profit works to protect wildlife, conserve natural resources and safeguard the environment.
Why this sperm whale sighting matters for Pakistan
The first Sindh sighting extends the known range of sperm whales in Pakistan’s waters eastwards from Balochistan. It suggests the animals use a wider stretch of the country’s offshore waters than the earlier records showed.
Feature Pakistan has reported on whales along Pakistan’s coast before. A blue whale found dead off Gwadar is under investigation by WWF-Pakistan, and a pod of bottlenose dolphins was spotted off Gwadar in October. Together, the three reports point to steady cetacean activity along the coast, from Gwadar in the west to the waters off Karachi.
The sighting also adds weight to calls for better protection of the offshore zone. Sperm whales depend on deep-water squid stocks, and those stocks depend on healthy marine food chains. Damage to those chains, through overfishing or pollution, reaches the largest animals first.
For readers in Karachi, the whale was seen about 40 nautical miles offshore, well beyond the city’s beaches and harbour. The animal was in open water, in the deep zone where sperm whales hunt. The Churna Island travel guide covers the diving and marine life closer to the Karachi coast, while the Jiwani coastal wetland guide looks at the habitats further west. Pakistan’s nature commitments were also in focus at the COP17 nature talks in Yerevan.
Where was the sperm whale seen?
About 40 nautical miles south-west of Karachi, off the Sindh coast, during an expedition by WWF-Pakistan board member Zahid Maker.
How big was the whale?
It was estimated at around 45 feet long. Footage showed its blowhole, skin markings and prominent hump.
Has a sperm whale been seen in Pakistan before?
Yes, off the Balochistan coast in 2017. This is the first recorded sighting off the Sindh coast.
How many whale and dolphin species live in Pakistan’s waters?
WWF-Pakistan says 26 cetacean species have been documented, including blue whales, Bryde’s whales and Arabian Sea humpback whales.
