newspaper articles published in "The
Daily Star", 30.July 2007:

Large blue whale found dead on Ctg beach
Staff Correspondent, Ctg

A dead blue whale was found on Kattali sea beach of Pahartali yesterday, which
zoologists termed unusual for Bangladesh territory.
"From the picture, I guess the whale could be around 50 feet long. I think it
was swept away to Bangladesh water territory from the Indian Ocean after
succumbing to its injuries," said Md Monzoorul Kibria, an assistant professor of
zoology in Chittagong University.

"It is a blue whale that is generally found in the Indian Ocean, South Pacific
Ocean, Atlantic Ocean and deep in the Bay of Bengal," he said.

Local fisherman Sujan Jaldas, who first noticed the whale near the sea shore at
around 1:30am, said, "I along with some fellow fishermen was fishing in the sea
near the Kattali coast when I suddenly noticed something very big floating
around our trawler.

We got frightened and soon left the area for the shore."

"In the morning we went to the shore again to have a glimpse of the animal. It
was so big, really awesome!" Sujan said.

The spot at Rani Rasmoni Ghat assumed a festive look as people from neighbouring
areas rushed to see the whale. Some boys climbed on it and started dancing.

There were injury marks on the whale's abdomen.

A grown-up blue whale (valaenoptera musculus) can be 110-foot long and can swim
up to 50 km per hour, Prof Kibria said.

He urged the authorities to preserve at least the bones of the whale at some
museum.

Pahartali police said they had informed all the authorities concerned about the
whale.

____________________________________________________________________________--
Elisabeth Fahrni Mansur
Cell: ++88 01711 524887
Rubaiyat Mansur Mowgli
Cell: ++88 01711 696336

home: ++88 02 9344770

Sundarban Forever!