In a remarkable display of compassion, the Sri Lanka Navy rendered assistance to rescue a stranded whale in the Puttalam lagoon off the Ippanthivu island, guiding it back to the open ocean waters today (August 8, 2023). The stranded whale, measuring approx. 20 feet in length, belongs to the species of minke whale.
An Inshore Patrol Craft of SLNS Vijaya in the Northwestern Naval Command spotted the stranded whale this morning during a patrol in the Puttalam lagoon. Recognising the urgency of the situation, the Navy alerted the Department of Wildlife Conservation and immediately sent out a team of Rapid Action Boat Squadron (RABS) personnel to save this majestic marine mammal’s life.
Joining hands with the Department of Wildlife Conservation and the National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency (NARA), the RABS personnel gradually directed the whale towards deeper waters where it could swim unaided.
