Spinner dolphin washed ashore on Clifton Beach

Injured animal is unable to return to the sea, there are no facilities available in Pakistan to treat it

KARACHI: Having lost its way and separated from its pod, a 5-feet long spinner dolphin washed ashore on Clifton Beach on Saturday. The injured dolphin, which found itself as it couldn't make its way back to the sea. A World Wildlife Fund (WWF) team reached the spot and made efforts to send it back to the sea, but in vain.

Unable to return to the sea and with no facilities available in Pakistan to treat the injured dolphin, the poor animal is now in a fix.



According to WWF Technical Director Muazzam Khan, the dolphin is probably suffering from an internal injury, caused by colliding with a rock, a boat or other marine animals.

He said that spinner dolphins are found in abundance in Pakistan. Instead of eyesight, spinner dolphins rely on their inherent sense of navigation, which works similar to sonar systems installed in submarine, to move under the water, he explained.



It is for this reason that on land, they become clueless about which director to move in, he added.

Khan recounted that about 10 years ago, almost 100 spinner dolphins had washed ashore at Gadani Beach and it had taken several hours to send them back to the sea. He praised the locals of Gadani, who had played an important role in sending the dolphins back to the sea, particularly a woman name Lal Bibi. WWF had awarded her for her efforts, he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 14^th, 2019.