Mumbai: The mangrove cell has decided to preserve the skeleton of the carcass of the Indo-Pacific dolphin that had washed ashore on Bandstand Promenade last week. This is the second time this year the skeleton of a deceased marine animal will be preserved at the marine interpretation centre in Airoli.

Last month, a carcass of 13.5-metre-long whale washed ashore on the Uran coast whose skeleton has been taken to Airoli’s centre. The carcass of an Indo-Pacific dolphin was found last Thursday morning, just a day after a huge humpback dolphin washed ashore Bandra’s Chimbai Beach on last Wednesday.

The forest department is waiting for the autopsy report to know the details of the dolphin and the exact cause of its death. Officials said that more beaching incidents were expected along the Mumbai coast owing to the monsoon season.

“As the carcass of the dead Indo-pacific dolphin was not severely decomposed, its post mortem is being carried out. The results will be out in another two or three days. We have decided to preserve the skeleton of the dolphin at the marine interpretation centre in Airoli,” said Prashant Deshmukh, range forest officer, state mangrove cell.  

This year, around eight marine animals have washed ashore including seven dolphins and one finless porpoise.