33-ft-long sperm whale washes ashore Ganjam coast in Odisha

A 33-ft-long sperm whale washed ashore near Podampeta along the Ganjam coast, about 50 km from here, days after a similar incident in Mumbai.

"We don't know the reason for its death. The whale might have died two days ago, and washed ashore yesterday," said Divisional Forest Officer (Berhampur) A K Behera.

"It might have died after being hit by fishing trawlers," said Professor K C Sahu of Marine Sciences Department of the Berhampur University.

Locals spotted the carcass and informed the officials, said Secretary of Ganjam District Sea Turtle Protection Committee Rabindra Sahu.

Sperm whale is the largest toothed whale in the world. It can stay submerged for about 90 minutes and can dive down to 2,250 meters, officials said.

The site where the whale has washed up is also the rookery for Olive Ridley sea turtles.