Whales repeatedly spotted hunting off coast of Vietnam’s Gia Lai, Dak Lak

The current Gia Lai Province is formed by merging the former Gia Lai and Binh Dinh Provinces and the current Dak Lak Province is a merger of the former Dak Lak and Phu Yen Provinces, effective from July 1.

Before the mergers, the former Gia Lai and Dak Lak Provinces did not border the sea.

Images of a mother and calf whale hunting in the waters off An Luong Commune, Gia Lai Province have captured significant public interest.

Vietnam eliminated the district-level administrative unit nationwide starting July 1 and restructured local administrations into a two-tiered system, including provinces/cities and wards/communes.

As a result, An Luong Commune was formed through the merger of the former My Chanh, My Thanh and My Cat Commune in the erstwhile Binh Dinh Province.

According to Dang Van Hai, 32, a local resident who had a close encounter with the whales on Monday afternoon, the mother whale was approximately 10 meters long, while the calf measured around six to seven meters.

Just days earlier, Hai had also spotted a whale, roughly 10 meters in length, in the waters off Nhon Hai fishing village in Gia Lai Province.

When whales appear, seabirds often flock overhead to feed on the fish stirred up by the whales, creating a striking natural scene.

Whales have regularly appeared in the coastal waters of Gia Lai to hunt for food over the past few years. 

Common whale sighting areas include De Gi, Vung Boi, Hoai Nhon, and Quy Nhon.

According to the Center for Biodiversity Conservation and Endangered Species, food is abundant in the waters off Gia Lai this season. 

The area sees less fishing activity, and the sea is cleaner than in many other places, making it a favorable hunting ground for whales.

The frequent appearance of whales near shore is considered a positive indicator that the local marine environment is improving.

Similarly, on Tuesday morning, locals recorded images of a large whale surfacing to hunt off the coast of Hoa Xuan Commune in Dak Lak Province.

Hoa Xuan Commune was formed by merging the former Hoa Tam, Hoa Xuan Dong and Hoa Xuan Nam Communes in the former Phu Yen Province.

Nguyen Kim Phung, a 32-year-old fisherman in Hoa Xuan Commune, reported that at around 6:00 am on Tuesday, while out at sea, he unexpectedly witnessed a whale surfacing to feed in the Mui Dien area.

The whale remained visible for about five minutes before diving quickly beneath the surface. It was the first time he had witnessed such a moment.