“Historic Sighting! Rare Arabian Humpback Whales Captured on Camera Near Gwadar Coast”
Gwadar, Balochistan — In a thrilling development for marine conservation in Pakistan, a pod of at least six individuals of the endangered Arabian humpback whale has been sighted off the coast of Gwadar, Balochistan, marking one of the largest gatherings of this species ever recorded in Pakistani waters.
The Sighting
On the evening of Sunday, November 2 2025, local fishing vessels operating approximately 11 nautical miles south of Gwadar observed and filmed the whales breaching and swimming together in a west-to-east direction. The footage was captured by a fishing boat led by captain Amir Dad Kareem and later verified by WWF‑Pakistan.
According to WWF-Pakistan’s Technical Advisor Muhammad Moazzam Khan, this sighting is not only rare but also encouraging: it may indicate a positive trend in the recovery of this critically endangered whale population. “The presence of a group of more than six whales is a sign of recovery along Pakistan’s coastline,” he stated.
Why It Matters
The Arabian humpback whale is a distinctive population that resides year-round in the northern Arabian Sea between Yemen and Sri Lanka. Unlike many other humpback whale populations, it does not undertake the long seasonal migrations to polar regions.
Historically, this population faced severe decline, especially during the 1960s when whaling operations, notably by Soviet fleets, targeted the northern Arabian Sea.
Sightings such as this one are therefore of high conservation significance—they suggest that the species might be slowly regaining a foothold in these waters.
Furthermore, Pakistan’s coastal ecosystem is rich and under-reported. According to WWF-Pakistan, no fewer than 27 species of whales and dolphins have been recorded in the country’s marine habitats, highlighting both biodiversity and the urgent need for protection.
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Implications & Conservation Context
The fact that local fishermen reported the sighting underscores the value of citizen science: coastal communities are increasingly pivotal in monitoring marine life.
The sighting occurs in the context of increasing attention to Pakistan’s marine mammal fauna; for example, a few weeks earlier, a group of Bryde’s whale was also observed off Gwadar.
While the sighting is cause for optimism, many threats still persist: by-catch in fishing gear, ship strikes, and marine pollution continue to endanger marine mammals in the region.
