Satellite tracks mammal for two months from Gulf of Oman to Kerala

After leaving the Gulf of Oman two months ago, Luban, a satellite-tracked humpback whale, is currently visiting Kerala waters.

Researchers have tracked the female marine mammal in Kerala waters on January 1.

Luban was one of the 14 whales that was tagged by the Environment Society of Oman under the Renaissance Whale and Dolphin Project, said a communication issued by A. Biju Kumar, Director, Research, of the Department of Aquatic Biology and Fisheries of the University of Kerala.

Tree-shaped pattern

The animal was named Luban, the Arabic name for the Frankincense tree, after the tree-shaped pattern at the base of its tail fluke. It began heading east, across the Indian Ocean on December 12. After completing a journey of around 1,500 km, it reached off the coast of Goa during the last week of December. It stayed 30 km off the Kochi coast on the New Year eve and has started migrating further south towards Alappuzha, the communication said.

The Department has been partnering with the Omanese society in tracking the animal as part of the efforts for documenting the marine biodiversity of Indian waters, said Dr. Kumar.

Satellite data revealed that the animal was heading steadily towards south at a pace of 5km/hr.

The humpback whale is one of the four species of baleen whales occurring in Indian waters and it is one of the least studied species in India.

Scientists opined that the animal might be searching for a suitable mate in Indian waters. The rich and productive waters off southwest coast of India may also provide it with copious supply of favourite food, the communication said.

The researchers tracked the movement of the animal with the assistance of an Indian Coast Guard ship to make a survey around Kochi to locate the migrating Luban.