A 700kg whale that beached itself off Bac Lieu Mekong Delta province in the south was rescued successfully on Tuesday by local rescuers and volunteers.
The animal, measured at 2.5m in length, was washed up on Nha Mat beach at 9am, according to local people.
Rescuers dug a trench 4m long and 2m wide at the beach to house the whale in an effort to offer emergency care for it while waiting for higher tide to release it back to the sea.
The whale’s tail suffered some scratches due to contact with beach sand.
At about 4:30pm the same day, the animal was put on a canvas and was released back into the deep water, at a distance of 20 kilometers from the shore.
Below are some photos of the rescue by Tuoi Tre correspondent: