MIRI: Residents of Kampung Siwak, together with fire and rescue personnel, helped to push back into the sea a 30-foot and 1.5 tonnes whale found beached on Kuala Sungai Siwak shore in Baram, here yesterday.
The beached mammal was found by a villager, Raya Edel, at about 6.30am.
Edel said he was walking on the beach when he saw a black object and when he approached it and he realised it was a whale.
“At first, I thought the whale was dead because it did not move but when I poured water on its head, it began to move,” he said when met at the location.
Edel said he then informed fellow villagers before contacting the Fire and Rescue Department for help to push the whale back to the sea.
Meanwhile, the head of Miri Fire and Rescue Department Law Poh Kiong said they received a call from the public at 7.11am about a beached whale.
“Upon arrival at the scene, the firefighters found that the whale was still alive.
“Thus, rescue operation was conducted by the firefighters and the villagers to push the whale back to the sea,” he said.
Law said the operation ended at 8.15am after they managed to push the whale to deeper water to allow it to swim away to the sea.
