In a rare and tragic sight, a dead dolphin was found washed ashore at Rajodi beach in Vasai area of Palghar district in Maharashtra on Wednesday, officials said.
The marine mammal, approximately eight feet long and weighing around 125 kilograms, was spotted by local villagers who had come for a morning walk along the coast.
Officials from the Vasai-Virar Municipal Corporation (VVMC) reached the spot and, with the help of a JCB machine, buried the carcass by digging a pit on the beach, following standard procedures.
Preliminary observations suggest that the dolphin may have died either after being hit by a large vessel, as high tide and rough weather conditions in sea were recently reported in the area, officials said.
Janardan Meher, a lifeguard at the Rajodi beach said, “The dolphin was found at the beach on Wednesday morning following which the the officials from the VVMC rushed to the spot and began its burial process.”