Rare group of Bryde’s whales spotted near Gwadar coast

A pod of four Bryde’s whales was sighted off the coast of Gwadar on the morning of Thursday after fishermen participating in a citizen science initiative captured and reported the rare occurrence to the World Wildlife Fund-Pakistan (WWF-P).

The sighting adds to a growing number of citizen-led reports contributing to the WWF-P’s expanding marine data bank aimed at conserving cetaceans along the country’s coastline. The WWF-P had built a network of fishermen, scientists, and members of the public who regularly shared information about marine fauna and ecological events through citizen science. This public involvement enabled the collection of valuable data on wildlife, rare events, and new species records — supporting informed management decisions and raising awareness about Pakistan’s vulnerable marine ecosystem.

The latest sighting was reported by a fishing boat captained by Amir Dad Karim, who was engaged in sardine gillnetting near Gwadar (Demi Zur). The crew noticed unusual surface movements about five kilometres north of their fishing area and moved closer to investigate. Using a mobile phone, they recorded a short video and promptly shared it with the WWF-P. The footage confirmed a pod of four Bryde’s whales — a baleen whale species — moving toward coastal waters, possibly to feed.

Bryde’s whale (Balaenoptera brydei) is one of three baleen whale species reported in Pakistani waters, along with the Blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) and the Arabian humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae). Multiple Bryde’s whale sightings had been recorded in Pakistan between 2013 and 2023, including strandings in Jiwani, Balochistan, in May and November 2023.

According to WWF-P Technical Advisor Muhammad Moazzam Khan, Bryde’s whales inhabit warm, temperate oceans and primarily feed on schooling fish such as sardines, anchovies, and mackerel — all abundant along Pakistan’s coast. They might also feed on pelagic shrimp found in both coastal and offshore waters. The species was currently listed as Data Deficient by the IUCN Red List due to limited global population data. In Pakistan, Bryde’s whales were legally protected under provincial wildlife laws and fisheries regulations.

Senior Director (Biodiversity) WWF-P Rab Nawaz praised the contributions of fishermen from Sindh and Balochistan to marine conservation efforts. He noted that fishing gear modifications introduced through the WWF initiatives had significantly reduced whale and dolphin entanglements — a major conservation milestone. He commended the public and fisher communities for helping strengthen Pakistan’s marine knowledge base through their active participation in citizen science initiatives.