On February 25, the shores in Al Wusta bore witness to a profound loss, one that speaks to the delicate balance between the natural world and human progress. A gentle giant of the deep, known as Joshi, washed ashore, his immense presence now eerily still. To those who had followed his story for over two decades, he was more than just a whale. He was a sentinel of the sea, a rare and extraordinary being whose existence was a testament to the resilience of a species on the brink.
Joshi belonged to one of the rarest whale populations on Earth, fewer than a hundred individuals who remain in the Arabian Sea year-round. Scientists first documented him in 2002 and later tagged him by satellite in 2014. His last recorded sighting in December 2023 was a final glimpse of a life shaped by tides, survival and the ever-encroaching presence of human activity.
The cause of Joshi’s death remains unknown. The answers may lie in the samples collected from his body, now being analysed by researchers. What is certain is that Arabian Sea humpback whales face mounting challenges. Climate change is reshaping the ocean, warming waters and altering the availability of food. Ocean acidification changes the way sound travels underwater, disrupting the intricate language whales use to navigate their world. Their haunting songs, once carried effortlessly through the depths, now risk being lost. The threats do not come from the water alone. The Arabian Sea is a highway of trade where Oman’s strategic ports stand at the crossroads of international commerce. But with this growth comes risk. Ship strikes are among the most significant dangers facing whales today. The hum of engines, the churn of propellers, the unseen peril of speed, each passing ship carries with it the potential to turn another Joshi into a statistic.
Oman has long recognised the importance of balancing conservation with development. In the Wilayat of Al Duqm, a Whale Management and Mitigation Programme enforces vessel speed limits, educates seafarers and establishes clear guidelines to protect whales in surrounding waters. Conservation has never been an afterthought but a parallel effort, ensuring that growth does not come at the cost of marine heritage. The International Maritime Organization has led efforts to reroute shipping lanes and create protected corridors in key whale habitats. Though the Arabian Sea has yet to receive such designations, efforts are currently underway and the precedent exists. Change is possible, but it requires vision and commitment.
A single whale like Joshi can sequester up to 33 tonnes of carbon dioxide over its lifetime, the equivalent of 1,500 trees. With his loss, that carbon absorption is permanently removed from the ocean’s natural cycle. Every whale lost is not just an ecological tragedy but a measurable blow to the fight against climate change. Science alone cannot change the course of his story. Knowledge is only as powerful as the actions it inspires.
Joshi’s death is not just a story of loss but a call to consider the future that Oman wishes to build. Trade and conservation are not opposing forces; they are two currents that must flow in harmony. If the sea is to remain a place where giants can roam, where their songs can rise unbroken, then the choices made today must honour both the past and the future. The ocean carries the echoes of those who have come before, their voices woven into the tides. If we listen closely, we may still hear Joshi, his story drifting onward, urging us to ensure that he will not be the last.
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