NSRI rescues beached whale

Durban - A whale which beached on Shelley Beach in KwaZulu-Natal was rescued and pushed back into the sea, the National Sea Rescue Institute said on Tuesday.

“Initially attempts were made to float the whale out to sea and to get the whale onto a rigid inflatable sea rescue craft, but those attempts failed,” spokesman Craig Lambinon said in a statement.

The whale was kept wet with buckets of water. The mammal was suspected to be either a juvenile pilot whale or a humpback whale. It was also suggested that it could be an adult mink whale, he said.

A one ton bakkie was brought to the scene and the whale was loaded and transported to a rescue base. It was loaded onto a sea rescue craft and transported to the vicinity of Protea Banks, where it was released into the sea, Lambinon said.

“It appeared that the whale was healthy... rescuers are cautiously optimistic that it has survived.”

Sapa