The carcass of a Bryde's whale washed ashore at Veli on Friday.
Bryde's (pronounced 'broodus') whale is a common species of 'great whales' or rorquals found in Indian waters. This category of whales also includes the blue whales and the humpback whales, according to A. Biju Kumar, Professor and Head, Department of Aquatic Biology & Fisheries, University of Kerala.
Physically, the Bryde's whale can be identified by a straight rostrum with three longitudinal ridges extending from the blowholes. Carcasses of these whales have been recorded on the Kerala coast mostly after the monsoon season. It was considered a species of Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of threatened species, he said.
The whale carcass, which was in a highly decomposed stage, was buried.
