People Band Together in Desperate Effort to Save Pod of Beached Whales in Indonesia

Dozens of local fishermen and townspeople helped push the whales back into the ocean.- Phooto supplied by Yusri.

Jakarta, MINA – Dozens of local fishermen and residents flocked to the Ujong Kareung beach to desperately try and save the giant mammals and move them back into the ocean, abc.net reported.

With the help of local police and soldiers, they said they had managed to save six of the pod by waiting for high tide to move them back to sea with ropes.

But they remained concerned the freed whales would return to the others that remained stranded.

Of the remaining five, authorities said two had been injured and one was critical.

“The evacuation is still underway, but it’s dark and they are big,” the head of the rescue operation, Hariadi Purnomo, said.

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In Aceh, it is the most basic of rescue operations with no sophisticated equipment or boats.

Authorities said extra care was needed or the whales could hit coral and be badly injured.

“We are not sure whether we can save them, but we are trying to be optimistic, we are trying our best,” Mr Purnomo said.

Last year a dead sperm whale was found on a beach near Banda Aceh city. (T/RS5/RS1)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)

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