Last Monday, when a 40-foot-long carcass of a Bryde's Whale washed up ashore in Colaba, a call was placed to a group of marine activists who were, coincidentally, at that moment, sitting in a meeting in Bandra discussing how to respond to strandings of turtles. It was also the day that the group of around 40 volunteers - which includes independent researchers, marine life enthusiasts, officials from the mangrove cell of the forest department, and volunteers from various NGOs - decided to extend their reach from turtles to all marine life that are, increasingly seen stranded along the state's coastline.

The carcass of a 40-foot whale that was stranded at Juhu Chowpatty in 2016