Thursday 28 / November / 2024
Muscat : The Environment Authority (EA), has succeeded in installing a tracking chip on the back of an Arabian Sea humpback whale in Duqm, Al Wusta Governorate.
The Scientific Committee of the International Whaling Agency has listed the Arabian Sea humpback whale among the five groups most at risk of extinction. This means that “saving a single whale has a significant impact on the genetic diversity and population recovery of this species.”
In January 2021, the Sultanate of Oman, represented by the Environment Authority and the Port of Duqm, succeeded in liberating and saving the humpback whale, which was more than 15 meters long, from fishing nets in Duqm.
Engineer Aida Bint Khalaf Al Jabri, marine environment specialist at the Environment Authority , confirmed that the Authority pays great attention to marine life and mammals with the aim of preserving them from extinction, including the Arabian Sea humpback whale.
Al Jabri said: "In December 2023, the Environment Authority began tracking the Arabian Sea humpback whale project, and succeeded in installing a satellite tracking chip and a sound recording device for eight hours on the back of the two-mole Arabian Sea humpback whale using a drone, and was able to record an audio clip of this type of whale. Noting that the project helps with remote measurement via satellite and mapping the distribution of threats and risks. "
Al Jabri added that there is cooperation between the Authority and the Port of Duqm to protect and preserve this type of whale and other marine mammals.
It is worth noting that the Arabian Sea humpback whale can be distinguished from other whales by the shape, color, and pattern of a mole on the tail. It is considered one of the rarest, as only 100 whales have been seen.
