Around 20 residents of the small Newfoundland community of Point May came together on Sunday to help two beached whales get back to the water safely.
Matt Lamkin, a town councilor in the Burin Peninsula community, said the two pilot whales were stranded on the beach by his home.
“We were advised from [Fisheries and Oceans Canada] to kind of leave the whales alone and stay away from their tails. But, like, I went down to investigate with my kids, and we could see that it was [bad], like they were in pretty dire straits,” Lamkin told CBC Radio’s The St. John’s Morning Show Monday.
“But then once we started pouring some water and stuff over them, like they started getting a bit revived. So we’re like ‘Man, we can’t leave them here.”
2 whales freed from beach using buckets, hoses and an excavator
Lamkin and his kids went down to see the whales, and they and other residents knew they had to act. He said the town’s mayor, Darren Harris, was quick to bring a water hose and pump to make sure the creatures stayed hydrated.
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Harris also drove an excavator to help get the whales free of the sand. Lamkin said around 20 people took part in the rescue effort, which lasted over four hours.
“We were all getting so excited … Just to give them some assistance and help them get out. And then, like, once we [saw] the first one starting to blow his blowhole and splash around and stuff, everybody was so excited,” Lamkin said, adding he was proud to see how the community came together.
“The fact that we get them a chance at life again is the most important thing.”
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