Rare Bryde’s whales spotted off Gwadar coast
In a rare and uplifting development, a pod of four Bryde’s whales was spotted near the coast of Gwadar — a sight that has sparked excitement among marine conservationists and local fishers alike.
According to the World Wide Fund for Nature–Pakistan (WWF-Pakistan), the whales were sighted near Demi Zur by a fishing crew led by Captain Amir Dad Karim, who noticed unusual movement about five kilometres north of their operation area.
“When we got closer, we saw four large whales surfacing and moving toward the coast. It was something we had never seen before,” Karim told WWF officials.
Read: Bryde's whale washes up dead on Balochistan beach
The group of baleen whales was later confirmed to be Bryde’s whales (Balaenoptera brydei), one of the three baleen whale species known to inhabit Pakistani waters — the others being the blue whale and the Arabian humpback whale.
WWF-Pakistan believes the pod may have been following schools of fish closer to shore for feeding. These are warm-water whales that feed mainly on small schooling fish like sardines, anchovies, and mackerel — all abundant along our coast
According to WWF-Pakistan, “Such sightings are significant because Bryde’s whales are still poorly understood globally and listed as Data Deficient on the IUCN Red List”.
A rare sighting off the coast of Gwadar!
Earlier today, a group of four Bryde’s whales was seen near Gwadar (Demi Zur) by local fishers, who immediately reported the sighting to WWF-Pakistan as part of our citizen science initiative.
The whales were spotted by a fishing boat… pic.twitter.com/wve4GqUOPlBryde’s whales are protected under Pakistan’s fisheries and wildlife legislation as well as international trade conventions. Conservationists say that sightings like this highlight the richness of Pakistan’s marine biodiversity and the urgent need to safeguard it from threats such as bycatch and pollution.
Read More: Giant dead Bryde's whale found in Karachi deep sea
Earlier, in 2019, a 13-foot Bryde’s whale was found dead near Gunz, along the Balochistan coast, after becoming entangled in a fishing net. WWF-Pakistan officials at the time described the incident as “a grave concern for the conservation community,” underscoring the vulnerability of these gentle giants.
“Although the Bryde’s whale is categorised globally as a species of least concern, its population in Pakistani waters is extremely small, and every individual counts,” Muhammad Moazzam Khan, Technical Advisor of the WWF-Pakistan, added.
Today’s live sighting is a hopeful reminder that these whales still traverse the country’s warm coastal waters — and that continued community participation is key to ensuring their survival.