28 March 2023
Happy event: the birth of a baby sperm whale named Varuna
A baby sperm whale was born on 24 March 2023 in the Indian Ocean just hours after the inauguration of the Indian Ocean Marine Life Foundation in Port Louis. Its patron, Mrs. Kobita Jugnauth, named the newborn Varuna, after the deity of the oceans and rain.
The Indian Ocean Marine Life Foundation was inaugurated on 24 March 2023 in Port Louis, Mauritius. It was officially launched by Mrs. Kobita Jugnauth, the wife of the Mauritian Prime Minister, who is the Patron. Based in Mauritius, this foundation was created by René Heuzé, a professional diver, director and producer of underwater films, after, among other things, he co-directed the film “Sperm Whales, A Family Story” off the coasts of Mauritius. The Indian Ocean Marine Life Foundation aims to bring together scientists, naturalists, divers and an international network of experts in order to study, understand and protect the marine life of the Indian Ocean. This baby sperm whale, Varuna, is the daughter of Lucy, and her grandmother is Dos Calleux, who are among the heroines of René Heuzey’s documentary film.
Sperm whales are toothed cetaceans and are among the largest mammals in the world to live exclusively at sea and under the sea. Because of their size, they are particularly vulnerable and suffer from many threats linked to human activities: affected by climate change, maritime traffic and the risk of collisions, but also by chemical, plastic and noise pollution, as well as being victims of hunting despite the moratorium and the ban on international trade in whale products of 1982.
Because of their great vulnerability and longevity (around 50 years), sperm whales are indicators of the health of ecosystems. Females give birth to only one calf at a time, which they care for and feed for several years before giving birth to the next one. The birth of this baby sperm whale Varuna on March, 24th is a positive indicator of the state of this species in the Indian ocean. It is a female of three metres and more than 300 kilograms.
It is also a good omen for our Varuna programme, which aims to help halting the erosion of biodiversity in the southwest Indian Ocean for the benefit of the region’s inhabitants. Varuna and its partners implement activities to raise awareness, build capacity and pool the efforts of all public, private and civil society actors in favour of biodiversity. One of its projects, “Varuna_MPA”, implemented by Réserves naturelles de France, contributes more specifically to the preservation of marine biodiversity by strengthening the network of managers of marine protected areas (MPAs) in the south-west Indian Ocean region.
Let’s hope that Varuna (Programme) contributes to the long life of Varuna (sperm whale)!
Sources:
https://www.linfo.re/la-reunion/societe/ocean-indien-naissance-d-un-bebe-cachalot-nomme-varuna>
https://www.indianoceanmarinelifefoundation.org/
