On a whale washed ashore at Calicut

Abstract

A dead whale was washed ashore at a place called Kannanparambu, about Ix km. south of South Beach, one of the fish landing centres of Calicut on the afternoon of 25th May 1966. The whale was first noticed that morning off Vellayil fish landing centre with its ventral portion rising out of water surface. The fishermen at first mistook the same for an upturned boat, but as they observed it at close quarters, they could recognise the whale (Fig. 1). On an examination, it was found to be in a putrefied state, though not in an advanced state of decomposition.