KENDRAPARA: The carcass of a rare Bryde’s whale washed ashore at the beach near Devi river mouth under the Kujang forest range within Bhitarkanika National Park on Saturday. A group of marine fishermen first spotted the female marine mammal, measuring about 25 foot in length. Villagers informed local forest officials about the dead whale, following which forest guards and officials rushed to the spot to inspect the carcass. Preliminary observations suggest that the marine mammal may have been hit by a ship or fishing vessel in the deep sea, after which the body was washed ashore. The exact cause of death will be known after we receive the postmortem report,” said Kujang forest range officer Sanjay Kumar Pradhan.

Source: Indian Express January 25, 2026 10:37 UTC