Navy assists to rescue stranded whale in the Puttalam lagoon

A Minke whale, stranded in the Puttalam lagoon was safely returned to the ocean with the assistance of Sri Lanka Navy personnel on Tuesday (Aug 8). Navy media sources state, that the whale measuring about 20 feet was spotted by an Inshore Patrol Craft of the Rapid Action Boat Squadron (RABS) in the shallow waters of the lagoon off the Ippanthivu islet.

While alerting the Department of Wildlife Conservation, a team of RABS personnel had rushed to the location for the rescue mission. They, together with the Department of Wildlife Conservation and National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency (NARA) personnel had gradually guided the whale towards the ocean away from the shallow waters of the lagoon enabling it to swim freely, it says.