Rare sighting: Longman’s beaked whale caught, freed

KARACHI: Pakistani fishermen caught a rare Longman’s beaked whale in the Arabian Sea and released it into the water within half an hour. Fishermen found the whale entangled in a gillnet about 122 nautical miles off Khobar Creek in Thatta district. Conservationists say it is the first time that fisherman have freed a live whale. The fact that the Longman’s beaked whale (Indopacetus pacificus) is a protected species makes their actions highly commendable, they add. WWF-Pakistan Director Rab Nawaz heaped praise on the fishermen for saving a unique and rare marine animal. The Longman’s beaked whale is regarded as one of the least known of all living whales.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 13^th, 2015.