Local authorities reported that a rare dead porpoise washed ashore at Cox’s Bazar’s Sugandha Point beach on Friday evening, reportedly carried in by the tide.
Nafis Intesar Nafi, Executive Magistrate of the district’s tourism cell, confirmed the incident and said the dead marine animal was reported to the Bangladesh Oceanographic Research Institute (BORI). Forest department officials were also alerted. Later, around 9:30 PM, scientists from BORI and forest officials examined the carcass and buried it. The cause of death is yet to be determined, pending a scientific report.
This is not the first such incident. On February 14 last year, a dead porpoise washed up at the same beach. Later, on March 3, another was found at Baharchhara Beach in Teknaf, and two more were discovered on October 13 at Holbonia Beach in the same union.
Abu Sayeed Mohammad Sharif, senior scientific officer at BORI, stated that sightings of porpoises along the Cox’s Bazar coastline have been rare in recent history. He added that scientists are currently investigating the causes behind these deaths.
By Abdur Rashid Manik
Photo: Courtesy
