Dead dolphin found on Teknaf beach

A large dead dolphin was found on the sands of Shah Porir Dwip in Teknaf under Cox's Bazar district on Monday morning.

The dolphin that came ashore is of the humpback species, said the Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute.

On Saturday afternoon, local people spotted a large fish floating on the waves of Paschimpara beach on Shah Porir Dwip.

Local fishermen and witnesses said that the large fish was bleeding when it hit the concrete on the beach on Saturday. The fishermen helped the trapped fish to get back into the deep sea.

However, local people assume that the dead dolphin, which came ashore on Monday morning, was swept away by the tide on Saturday.

But on Saturday, many of the people that saw it said that the huge fish was a baby whale.

Meanwhile, Dr Ehsanul Karim, senior scientific officer of the Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute in Cox's Bazar, said that the dolphin was familiar as the Indo-Pacific Bottle Nose (Humpback) Dolphin.

"These species move in groups. It is believed that this dolphin came close to Teknaf after moving in search of food, and died of its injuries," he said.

He added that the fish is around 9 – 10 feet in length and may weigh 160 kilograms.

These dolphins are mainly found in the tropical waters of India and the western Pacific. However, unlike most common dolphins, they prefer shallow, coastal waters. As a result, it is common to see these dolphins in the adjacent areas, he further said. 

Jabed Iqbal Chowdhury, former president of Teknaf Press Club, said a dead dolphin was spotted on the beach at Shah Porir Dwip in Teknaf in the morning.

"People crowded to see the dolphin. And many of them took pictures. The dolphin was there until 3 pm. But on Saturday, local fishermen spotted another large fish which was bleeding. So, they helped the fish to get back into the deep sea. We are not sure if this dead dolphin is that injured fish or not," he said.

Nurul Amin, a member of Ward 7 of Shah Porir Dwip union parishad in Teknaf, said that a dead dolphin was found in his Ward area.

"Many called it a whale as well. Fishing is banned in the sea. But it is hard to say how the fish died. It bore some injury marks in its body," he said.

In this regard, Delwar Hossain, Teknaf upazila senior fisheries officer said, "I have received the information and necessary steps are being taken." 

Dipak Biswas, in-charge of Shah Porir Dwip police outpost, said a huge dead fish was found on the beach on Monday morning. Necessary steps were being taken, he added. 

It is worth mentioning that when Cox's Bazar went under lockdown to prevent the Covid-19 outbreak, the beach turned deserted. Since then, nature started expressing its glory. The beaches are getting greener. Dolphins were spotted in the waters off the deserted beach in mid-April.

Such a video is circulating on the internet. Furthermore, some are terming the video as being tailored.

After this, several dead dolphins were also found floating on the waters of the beach.