2 Whales found dead on shores of Ghana

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Hundreds of people trooped to Kokrobite, a suburb of Accra, to see a strange sea creature found dead on the sea shore yesterday.

News about the weird mammal, suspected to be a whale, broke in the early hours of yesterday when fishermen in the area found it while returning from their fishing expedition.

Most of the people who spoke to DAILY GUIDE believed the lifeless animal was washed ashore after its death.

This brings to two, the number of such strange creatures found dead on Ghana?s shores in the last three days.

The first mysterious sea creature also suspected to be a dead whale was reportedly found at Jomoro on the shores of the Asanta Beach in the Jomoro District of the Western Region.

Both mammals are reported to weigh between six and eight tones. Since the strange animal found at Jomoro was on the verge of decomposing, it was difficult to determine the length but the one found at Kokrobite beach was about six feet long.

Kokrobite beach is a popular rendezvous for fun lovers as well as holiday makers.

Emmanuel Noetey, a fisherman, told DAILY GUIDE that he was returning from sea with his friends in a canoe after fishing in the night when they saw something like a rock lying close to the shore, ?so we started asking what that could be.?

The man was later joined by some friends to pull the creature to a safe place on the shore.

He said the fishermen contacted the chief fisherman who arrived there in the company of some elders in the community to perform certain rituals since they believed it was a bad omen.

?We have not been recording bumper harvest within this period as compared to that of previous years. We have always suspected something had gone wrong but we had no proof,? said the fisherman, who had all his clothes drenched with sea water.

He said the fishermen and residents had decided to bury the strange animal on Tuesday, which is not a fishing day.

It is reported that the decomposed whale at Jomoro was washed ashore about three days ago.

According to residents, the stench emanating from the animal was disturbing, making breathing difficult for them to.
A businessman, Isaac Bentum Williams who spoke to Joy FM said the mammal may be an endangered species which required further studies by scientists and researchers.
Mr. Williams said the head of the mammal looked like that of a crocodile while its tail looked like that of a whale.
He said vultures had already started feeding on its intestines.

Scientists and researchers believe that threats by predators such as sharks and orcas may cause marine mammals to swim closer to shore and at the risk of being stranded.

A report by the International Fund for Animal Welfare titled, ?Why Marine Mammals Strand? noted that dolphins, whales, porpoises, and seals may strand alone when the animal becomes lost or disoriented or is suffering from an illness, infection or injury. Newly weaned animals sometimes have a hard time thriving on their own and may strand as a result of their own inexperience.

 By Emelia Ennin Abbey

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