Fishermen sighted sperm whales for the first time in Pakistani seawater near Jiwani off Balochistan coast on September 10, the WWF-Pakistan said on Tuesday. It said that the fishermen saw the whales some 22 kilometres south of Gunz, near Jiwani last Sunday while operating in the sea for a catch. It credited a boat captain, Mehar Gul for his move to chase the sperm whales and record its existence in Pakistani seawaters.
"While navigating about 22km south of Gunz, near Jiwani, Captain Mehar Gul spotted two spouts of whales on Sunday," it said, adding that "Eventually, the whales turned out to be a pair of sperm whales which had never been reported live from Pakistani waters". Before plunging into disappearance in the seas, it said, the boat captain and crew followed them for about one and half hours." Earlier, a skeleton of a sperm whale was reported from Sonara Beach near Karachi in December 2005, whereas a few of bones of another specimen were collected from Daran Beach near Jiwani," the WWF-Pakistan said.
Muhammad Moazzam Khan, technical advisor (Marine Fisheries), WWF-Pakistan said that the Arabian Sea is known to have a large population of oceanic squids including "purple back flying squid and rhomboid squids". Therefore, he pointed out, it was likely the sperm whale could also dwell in the Arabian Sea, as 80 percent of its diet consists of large pelagic squids. He also appreciated Captain, Mehar Gul for his efforts to go closer to sperm whales and recorded them on his camera. "The dive pattern and terminal blow confirms that the two whales are adults as their size exceeds 10 metres," he added.
Sperm whales - scientifically known as 'physeter macrocephalus' can be easily recognized by their massive heads and prominent rounded foreheads. It is a cosmopolitan species, which is globally found in all major oceans. These whales are considered the largest predator on earth and feed on a variety of fishes and invertebrates. However, 80 percent of their diet consists of large squids. Sperm whales have the largest brain of any creature known to have lived on earth.
Dr Babar Khan, Regional Head Sindh and Balochistan WWF-Pakistan reckoned the first live record of sperm whales in Pakistani waters is an important addition to the knowledge regarding biodiversity of the Arabian Sea. "A total of 23 species of cetaceans (whale, dolphin and porpoises) are known to occur in Pakistani waters," he added.
Sperm whale heads also hold large quantities of substance called spermaceti. Whalers once believed that the oily fluid was sperm, but scientists still do not understand the function of spermaceti. One common theory is that the fluid, which hardens to wax when cold-helps the whale alter its buoyancy so that it can dive deep and rise again. Sperm whales are known to dive as deep as 3,280 feet in search of squid. These giant mammals can hold their breath for up to 90 minutes on such dives.
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