Shock footage captures moment beachgoers push wounded beaked whale back to sea in dramatic rescue
Shocking footage has captured the moment beachgoers gathered at Bondi Beach to push an injured whale washed ashore back into the wave.
In the videos and images uploaded to Facebook, a group of swimmers can be seen standing around the animal washed ashore among the waves.
The original poster asks: “Are there any videos of the injured dolphin (ripped by backpackers) on Bondi Beach from Thursday 26 March? Specifically the rescue attempt to push the dolphin back into the water.”
Some mistake this animal for a dolphin, others claim it is the Blainville beaked whale; This whale is found in tropical and temperate waters all over the world.
The whale appears to have puncture wounds and is bleeding into the waves.
Another woman wrote in the post: “He was seriously injured and should not have been pushed back into the water. ORRCA (Australian Marine Mammal Rescue and Research Organisation) should have been contacted.”
Bondi Lifeguards confirmed in a post on Instagram that they attended and assisted in the rescue of the whale.
“The whale was exhausted and suffered multiple cuts and injuries,” Bondi Lifeguards wrote in their post.
“The boys gathered a group of men to get him back into the water.
“Luckily the waves were strong enough to float him and return him to the ocean.
“After a slow start, the whale eventually found a rhythm and headed out to sea.”
ORRCA said they received reports of the incident via their hotline, but the whale was already back in the water when their team arrived.
“Our response teams then monitored the area and attempted to relocate the animal, as in these cases the risk of being trapped again is often very high,” a spokesperson told NewsWire.
“We certainly know that when people encounter a stranded whale or dolphin, their instinct is to help, and that this response comes from compassion.
“However, it is important to understand that stranding is often a symptom of an underlying problem rather than the problem itself.”
The spokesman appealed to the public not to attempt to push stranded marine mammals back into the water in the future and instead call the helpline.
The spokesman continued: “As air-breathing animals, they are not in immediate danger from being on the beach.”
“In many cases, they may be sick, injured or disoriented, and moving them could cause further harm or reduce the likelihood of successful rehabilitation.
“There are also risks to human health and safety, as marine mammals can carry zoonotic diseases and trying to move them can be physically dangerous.
ORRCA has already responded to a number of rescues involving beaked whales over the past few weeks, including the rescue of the Blainville beaked whale stranded at Stockton Beach in NSW on 19 March.
“Unfortunately, the animal was found dead on arrival,” ORRCA wrote in a Facebook post.
“An autopsy was performed to help us better understand the potential cause of death. Following the autopsy, the animal was buried in Worimi country.”
On March 21, another whale was reported stranded off the coast of Windang Beach, south of Wollongong.
Following a veterinary evaluation, the organization said the whale could not be safely returned to the ocean.
Just a day later, ORRCA said another whale was found dead off the coast of Toowoon Bay on the NSW Central Coast.
“This marks the third confirmed landing of this species in as many days,” ORRCA wrote on Facebook.
“While this is an unusual situation, it is important that we do not speculate about potential causes at this stage.
“Findings from autopsies can provide critical information and we will share updates as more information becomes available.”
