Featured Image Credit: AFP
By Laura O’Brien
Cyclones are dangerous and even deadly for marine life just as they are for humans. Cyclones (AKA typhoons or hurricanes depending on where they occur) are massive storms which churn up the sea for miles around them and create deadly currents.
One of these massive and lethal storms swept through the Bay of Bengal recently, making landfall in Bangladesh. Cyclones in this region are notorious for their storm surges, because the rising seas are able to sweep over large amounts of the flat land along the coast of the Bay of Bengal. Cyclone Mora had a devastating impact on Bangladesh, claiming many homes and several lives. The cruel effects of the storm were felt most heavily in the area where it made landfall, but the tides were greatly impacted throughout the Bay of Bengal.
Rapid displacement of water caused by Cyclone Mora, the storm which recently hit Bangladesh, is most likely responsible for the pod of whales which were stranded in Sri Lanka. In the wake of the storm, residents of Sampur, Sri Lanka discovered 20 pilot whales who were stranded and beached in the shallow waters in their harbour. This is not the first time in which marine mammals have become stranded there.
Trincomalee harbour is a popular area for whale-watching, but the shallow water can be tricky for the large mammals to navigate. The navy has helped rescue a stranded sperm whale from the harbour in the past, and they led the charge again to help save the pod of pilot whales.
The navy was joined by many good-willed residents who helped save the massive creatures. The spokesman for the Navy acknowledged that the task of pulling the whales out of the extremely shallow water was tricky, because they had to be careful not to injure the whales in the process.
Thanks to the efforts of the navy as well as dozens of volunteers, the whales were successfully returned to deeper waters!