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Updated January 21st, 2021 at 12:57 IST

Dead whale, one of Mediterranean's largest, found off Italian coast

Press office of Italian Coast Guard released the images of the giant carcass of a whale washed up by the harbour of Italy’s Sorrento, a popular tourist spot.

Reported by: Zaini Majeed
Dead whale
| Image:self
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Authorities have discovered one of the largest carcasses of a whale washed up by the harbour of Italy’s Sorrento, one of the popular tourist destinations on January 20. The coastguard scuba divers retrieved the body of the dead mammal from the waters off southern Italy after they followed a distressed whale calf. According to Italy’s Guardia Costiera [Coast Guard], the rescuers towed one of the largest carcass ever found in the Mediterranean to the port of Naples and are probing the cause of the whale’s death. The calf, which initially alerted the divers, has since disappeared. 

The press office of the Italian Coast Guard released the images of the gigantic carcass on its official Twitter with a caption that the whale which was identified on January 17 was declared dead and brought to marine biologists to determine the cause of its death. Scientists are now studying the whale’s specimen nearby the port of Napoli. According to Italian media reports, the activity of towing the cetacean was conducted by the country’s coast guards in coordination with the Italian Maritime Directorate of Naples. The dead whale’s carcass was pulled on the shore using two patrol boats that belonged to the Italian Coast Guard, as they arrived at the first light of dawn and navigated the sea for several hours, investigating. 

Read: Drone Footage Shows Eden Whale's 'lunge Feeding' Strategy In Gulf Of Thailand | WATCH

Read: US Navy Sonar Could Be Behind Increased Whale Beachings In Pacific: Study

Plastic in whale's belly

In a similar incident earlier, an 8-meter (26-foot) sperm whale was found dead off Sardinia, one of the largest Italian islands in the Mediterranean with 22 kilograms (48.5 pounds) of plastic in its belly. World Wildlife Foundation, upon the discovery, sounded concerns over the dangers of plastic waste in the Mediterranean Sea. In an official statement, an environmental group said the rescue team found tons of garbage that was recovered from the dead whale’s sperm. The marine creature had injected plastic waste including a corrugated tube for electrical works, plastic plates, shopping bags, tangled fishing lines and a washing detergent package with the bar code still legible.

Read: US: Aquarium Agrees To Delay Beluga Whale Delivery Amid Lawsuit

Read: 'As Big As A Horse': Scientists Discover An Unknown Whale Species Off Coast Of Mexico

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Published January 21st, 2021 at 12:57 IST

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