Samples of dead whales, dolphins to be sent for testing

COLOMBO (News1st): The samples of dead whales and dolphins that washed up on Sri Lanka's coast this week are to be sent for testing, government officials said. "We are most likely to send the samples to the Veterinary Research Institute," Dr Suhada Jayawardana, a vet surgeon at the wildlife department said. Seven whales and a dolphin have washed up on the coast of Sri Lanka since the largest ever beaching of these mammals were witnessed this week. "After sending them for testing we believe that we will be able to determine the reason for their deaths and also why they had beached on the coast," Dr Jayawardana added. Experts say that the beaching of whales and mammals takes place mostly due to radar signals at sea. "It is common to witness sea mammals beaching on coasts, due to activities such as underwater mining and mineral exploration," Upul Liyanage, a senior scientist at the National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency said. A joint military exercise involving India, the US, Japan, and Australia is taking place at the Bay of Bengal at present.