On the night of 11.01.2016 the TV news channels have broadcasted the news of mass stranding of whale in the coastal region of Aalanthalai, near Tiruchendur in Gulf of Mannar. The Dean, Fisheries College and Research Institute of Tamil Nadu Fisheries University, Thoothukudi deployed a team of Scientists of FC&RI, Thoothukudi to the whale stranded coast of Aalanthalai. The Scientific team headed by Dr.A.Srinivasan, Chair, School of Fisheries Resources and Environmental Management with Dr.P.Jawahar, Professor, Dr.P.Chidhambaram, Associate Professor Dr.S.Aanand, Assistant Professor and PG Scholars reached the spot by 4.00 a.m. and surveyed the coastal beach for the stranded whales. The team could locate only two whales which were struggling in the intertidal region of Kallamozhi, near Aalanthalai. With care they were pushed back to the sea with the help of locals. In the morning, we came to know that considerable number of whales are stranded in the Manapad coast. Then the team went to the Manapad coast and found approximately 80 numbers of stranded whales belonging to the species, Globicephala macrorhynchus, which is commonly known as Short finned pilot whale, in the intertidal and supralittoral zone (upper intertidal zone).He also told that this species is a carnivorous one and feed mainly on pelagic fishes and squids. They usually move in groups (pod) and has strong social bonds among them. The female matures at an age of 8-9 years and males at an age of 13-17 years. Generally they live for about 60 years. Females give birth to a single calf with a gestation period of 15 months. The calving interval was reported to be 5 to 8 years.
Among the stranded whales some were alive and some were dead. The team joined with the whale rescue teams organized by the District Administration, Wild Life Department, State Fisheries Department and the public. The whale rescue team could rescue only about 36 whales. The rescued, whales were found healthy and swimming in the inshore waters. In this regard, our team has also made inquiry to confirm the published report about the previous strandings by this species during 1973 in the same location and the local people (women aged 70) confirmed that similar incidence occurred before 43 years in this coast. The team has also made an observation on the water temperature, salinity and dissolved oxygen content of the inshore region, which were found to be normal. There are several reasons attributed for mass stranding of whales all over the world. In this case, although the exact reason could not be ascertained, it could be predicted that these whales might have chased the prey (small fishes like sardines and other inshore school of fishes) in the intertidal areas during last phase of the highest high tide period (new moon day periods) and later must have stranded because of shallow depth created by receding tide, during which they must have faced the problem of disorientation.