Two-tonne whale washes ashore in Vietnam’s Dak Lak

Vo Ngoc Thach, chairman of the Song Cau Ward administration, on the same day confirmed that villagers in Vinh Hoa Hamlet found the whale around 1:30 pm.

Do Thanh Dung, head of the hamlet, said the creature measured roughly 10 meters in length and appeared exhausted.

Locals attempted to return it to deeper waters, but the whale repeatedly washed back to shore.

The whale remained alive as of the late afternoon.

“When the whale dies, we will hold a burial according to local customs,” he explained.

In 2024, a smaller whale had also washed ashore in the same area.

Representatives from the Xuan Dai Border Guard Station and local authorities inspected the scene and confirmed the animal was a whale.

The station later asked local authorities and residents to conduct traditional burial rites.

For generations, coastal fishing communities in central Vietnam have revered whales, known locally as ‘Ca Ong’ (Lord Whale), as sacred protectors of fishermen.

The practice of honoring and burying stranded whales is deeply rooted in local spiritual traditions.