This 40-foot whale was found dead at Juhu beach in January

If you’re wondering why so many sea creatures have washed ashore and died on Mumbai shores in the last couple of years, here’s a likely answer – it’s because of widespread pollution in the sea, particularly due to oil and plastic. In the last two years, as many as 17 marine animals — dolphins, whales, porpoises and sea turtles – have fallen victim to this crisis, which is set to get even worse after the Ganpati visarjan, when lakhs of Plaster of Paris idols were immersed in the sea.