Naval personnel attached to SLNS Vijaya in the North-western Naval Area took timely action to save the life of an injured whale, which had washed ashore on the Vella beach in Kalpitiya on 13th January 2012. In a mammoth effort which took some 07 hours, they managed to assist the 38 foot Fin Whale to swim back to deep waters off the Dutch Bay after freeing it from the entangled fishing net which had hindered its free movement.
The whale had been first sighted by the naval personnel deployed on coastal protection. It had been struggling in shallow waters with injuries to its fin and abdomen areas. Alerted naval personnel rushed in and pumped water helping it to breath and guiding it to refloat. They felt overjoyed to watch the magnificent Whale, nicknamed “The Greyhound of the Sea” by whale lovers for its great speed and slender build, regaining its strength and heading home.
As part of its social responsibility projects, the Navy assists whale conservation. It has ventured into organizing whale watching cruisers with a view to raise public awareness on the endangered world’s largest animal and to assist the country’s ongoing tourism promotion drives targeted at whale watching enthusiasts worldwide.
[mappress] Naval Today Staff , January 16, 2012; Image: navy