“Such rare sightings remind us of the rich marine life along Pakistan’s coast and the importance of protecting it for generations to come,” said WWF-Pakistan after a pod of four Bryde’s whales (Balaenoptera brydei) was spotted near Gwadar’s Demi Zur coast.

The organization confirmed the sighting through its citizen-science initiative and called it a “significant reminder” of Pakistan’s marine diversity, according to a report carried by Gwadar Pro on Saturday.

The whales were reported by local fishers about five kilometers north of the fishing grounds. Captain Amir Dad Karim, who led the fishing boat, said, “We noticed movement on the calm sea and approached carefully. When we came closer, we saw large whales surfacing slowly, an unforgettable sight.”

WWF-Pakistan said that Bryde’s whales are among the three baleen species known from Pakistan’s waters and that the species “remains poorly studied globally,” while being listed as Data Deficient on the IUCN Red List. 

The organization added that protecting such species is essential to preserve the country’s coastal ecosystems.

However, in contrast to WWF’s global assessment, Chinese scientists have conducted detailed research on Bryde’s whales in the Beibu Gulf, providing one of Asia’s most comprehensive datasets on the species.

A 2019 study titled “Coastal Bryde’s Whales’ Foraging Area Near Weizhou Island in the Beibu Gulf,” Chinese universities documented consistent whale sightings between Weizhou and Xieyang Islands from 2015 to 2018. 

The research concluded that “the abundant fish stocks and limited disturbance near Weizhou Island could support Bryde’s whales’ nutritional, survival, and reproductive needs.” In 2021, another study from the same region showed how local fishermen used mobile platforms to report whale sightings, helping scientists build long-term population data.

“These whales remind us that our coastline is not just economically vital, it is ecologically priceless,” the WWF stated.

The sighting of Bryde’s whales seen off Gwadar and the studied done by Chinese experts have strong potential for Pak-China cooperation on marine biodiversity.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP) — Pak-China