Whale sighting delights visitors in Vietnam’s Mui Ne waters

Witnesses said the whale, estimated at about five meters long, appeared around midday on Saturday.

It occasionally surfaced while keeping a short distance from the beach, drawing attention from crowds along the coast.

This sighting follows another rare event in late March, when a pod of about 100 whales swam alongside diving guides near Phu Quy Special Zone, a tourist island administered by Lam Dong Province.

Nguyen Trong Tan, who recorded the encounter, described it as unforgettable.

“At first I was nervous, but once I swam with them, I realized how friendly they were. It’s a moment I may never see again,” he said.

In recent months, unusual marine activity has been reported along the former Binh Thuan coastline, now part of Lam Dong.

Several oarfish, known scientifically as Regalecus glesne, have washed ashore in Tan Hai Commune, Phan Ri Cua Commune, and Mui Ne Ward.

Local fishermen buried the fish according to traditional coastal beliefs.

Huynh Quang Huy, former head of the Binh Thuan fisheries department, explained that oarfish typically live in deep waters and rarely drift to shore, making these appearances highly unusual.