Stranded pilot whales refloated by Sri Lankan navy
A pod of around 20 short-finned pilot whales which stranded off Sampur Beach near Trincomalee on Sri Lanka’s north-east coast yesterday, have been refloated by the Sri Lankan navy with the assistance of local people.
Navy spokesman, Chaminda Walakuluge, commented: “It was a delicate task to push the whales back without hurting them, but there was a happy ending when all of them could be sent back to deeper waters.”
The cause of the stranding is currently unknown but it could have been triggered by Cyclone Mora in the Bay of Bengal, which had led to exceptionally rough seas in the area in previous days.
