Whale spotted off south-central Vietnam coast
Friday, July 05, 2024, 16:56 GMT+7
A whale was sighted off the coast of Mui Dien (Dien Cape), a popular tourist destination in Phu Yen Province, south-central Vietnam, on Friday morning, a local official confirmed the same day.
While operating in the waters off Mui Dien at around 8:00 am, several fishermen caught sight of a whale swimming next to their fishing boat, owned by Huynh Kim Tuong, a 50-year-old resident in the town.
After notifying authorities of the sighting of the mammal, the fishermen were requested to protect the fish and not to catch it at any cost, said Pham Van Huan, deputy head of the Hoa Hiep Nam border guard office in Dong Hoa Town.
Dolphins are frequently spotted in the area, but sightings of whales are rare, Huan elaborated.
Nguyen Thanh Hoan, a 25-year-old native of Phu Hoa District, recounted his sighting of the whale when he was fishing off the coast of Mui Dien at about 7:00 am the same day.
Dao Quang Minh, head of the provincial Fisheries Sub-Department, reckoned that this whale was moving toward the coast to hunt for food.
The appearance of the sea creature in the waters off Mui Dien showed that the marine habitat in the area is home to a great source of small fish that whales mainly feed on, Minh added.
“[The whale’s appearance] is good news,” Minh continued.
He advised local residents to keep a safe distance from and not to catch whales if they spot the mammals.
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