Volunteer divers needed for injured female pilot whale in Sanya

On June 7th, 2019, a female pilot whale was found stranded on the beach of Sanya’s Yazhou Bay. Experts from the Institute of Deep-sea Science and Engineering of the Chinese Academy of Sciences rushed to the scene and found that the animal was suffering from dehydration and its bones and inner organs were injured.

At 11 p.m., the whale was transferred to a protected area near the Institute of Deep-sea Science and Engineering of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. However, the whale had developed a fever and its body had become a little rigid. It couldn’t make turns to avoid underwater barriers, unless there were divers taking care of it in the water.

Fortunately, six professional volunteer divers came to the rescue after receiving messages from the Blue Ribbon Ocean Protection Association. They aided the whale in keeping balance in the water while a veterinarian delivered a nutrient solution injection. The volunteer divers were exhausted after being in the water for hours. But the whale still needs to be taken care of by qualified divers.

Volunteers are still needed. If you or someone you know is available to provide a helping hand, please contact Mr. Pu, secretary-general of the Blue Ribbon Ocean Protection Association, at 13976762780.

Pilot whales are cetaceans belonging to the genus Globicephala. The two extant species are the long-finned pilot whale and the short-finned pilot whale. Between the two species, they range nearly worldwide, with long-finned pilot whales living in colder waters and short-finned pilot whales living in tropical and subtropical waters. Pilot whales are among the largest of the oceanic dolphins, exceeded in size only by the killer whale. They and other large members of the dolphin family are also known as blackfish.