Maharashtra: Carcass of 40 feet-long whale washed ashore at Vasai's Mardes beach

Onlookers at Mardes Beach at Vasai, Maharashtra on Wednesday were left both startled and sad when the carcass of a humongous whale washed up the shores of the Arabian Sea. The whale was said to be of the "Baleen' group of whales and was reportedly a massive 40 feet long. Since the whale washed up, a lot of people have taken to social media to share this unique find. 

According to reports, the carcass of the whale was first identified by a group of fishermen on Wednesday. Upon identification, the Forest Department and Vasai Police were immediately informed about the whale and arrived at the spot with the Vasai Virar Municipal Corporation. Preliminary investigations have stated that the whale carried with it some wounds and that its fish cells have been sent for a deeper analysis. The whale will be buried after investigations at the shore of the Mardes Beach at Vasai where it washed up.

What is a Baleen whale? What makes it unique?

Whales can be broadly classified into two categories - Toothed Whales (Odontoceti) and Baleen Whales (Mysticeti.) Toothed Whales have teeth. Baleen Whales have baleen. Baleen forms plates (fringed brushes) composed of keratin that are found in the upper jaws of Baleen Whales. Food is strained through the baleen. There are 73 species of Toothed Whales. The largest being the Sperm Whale. There are 16 species of Baleen Whales. The largest being the Blue Whale. Baleen and Toothed Whales are believed to have separated from one another, 34 million years ago.

Baleen, aka whalebone, is a type of wall made of roughly triangular plates of keratin with feathery fringes, hanging down from the upper gums of the whale, around the inside of the mouth. The whale sucks in a big mouthful of water, then slowly closes its mouth, pushing its tongue up against the roof of the mouth as it does so. This forces the water back out through the baleen, and on the way the fringes on the baleen filter krill and other small organisms out of the water and the whale swallows them. The Baleen acts like a filter for the whale's food. 

(Image Credits - Twitter MadBadMax)