This little whale was having a nice swim near Newfoundland when he took a wrong turn and ended up lost. Thankfully, three men saw his predicament and decided to help save the whale’s life.
14. Newfoundland Bay
The island of Newfoundland has a long and indented coastline that includes several major bays. Most communities in Newfoundland and Labrador are located on the coast, and travel from one community to is usually by sea. That means people who live there are very accustomed to marine life.
13. Point Leamington
The men who saved the whale were from the local area of Point Leamington. This small town has a population of about 590 people. It is located north of Botwood and Grand Falls-Windsor in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. The small community is located on the shores of Southwest Arm, New Bay and was first settled by loggers in the late 1800s who came for the local timber resource.
12. Holding Out for a Hero
Three men were out for an enjoyable day in Newfoundland Bay when they witnessed a whale in trouble. Though this was far from what they expected that day, the three men instantly knew they had to help. They came up a with a way to get him from the shallow water to the safety of deeper waters.
11. Chasing Lunch
The men had an incredible view of the young whale as it swam through the water quickly. It seemed as if it was on the hunt. The whale moved as swiftly as Jaws until he got too close to shore. That’s when things took a turn.
10. Stuck
The whale started thrashing around, in obvious distress. He must have been in very shallow water, possibly caught on a sandbar. Not many things can slow down a whale on the hunt, but natural phenomena can certainly turn deadly in an instant.
9. Whale Watchers
Mark Chippett, Marcel Cooke and Ryan Peddle are the heroes who decided to make sure the whale got out of his jam. They watched closely as the whale tried to swim away, hoping that he could get free on his own. However, that wasn’t meant to be.
8. Three Men and a Whale
Mark, Marcel and Ryan knew that the young whale’s life could be in danger, so they immediately jumped into the water. They weren’t being foolish; the three guys came up with an ingenious plan to extricate the whale from his situation, which was getting worse as he got stuck in sand.
7. Free Willy
The three guys entered the water with large slabs of wood. It turns out that some quick thinking and foraging turned up some 2×4 pieces of wood. They positioned themselves at the bottom of the whale, showing just how shallow the water was in that area.
6. Leverage
They used the slabs to give them as much leverage as possible to wedge the whale out of the sand. By pushing and prodding, they freed the whale so it could go back home. As the men walked back to shore, it was evident that they were proud of a job well done.
5. Pilot Whale
Although the men weren’t sure what kind of whale they found, later they realized it was very likely a pilot whale. The whale is noticeable because of its pot-shaped head. In the video, the whale’s head bobs up and down just like a pot.
4. Whales of Newfoundland
There are many species of whales in Newfoundland, making it one of the best places to go whale watching in the world. In addition to pilot whales, the area is home to humpback whales, minke whales, finback whales, and many species of dolphin. Don’t forget that dolphins are actually a species of whale. The killer whale, in fact, is known as the largest dolphin in the world.
3. Humpback Whales
The most commonly sighted whales in the area are humpback whales. They travel together and swim close to the cliffs, where they hunt for capelin. The humpback whale is the infamous whale from the novel Moby Dick.
2. Minke Whales
Minke whales are much smaller than humpbacks and tend to swim alone rather than in groups. These whales are more colorful, with a bright spot right on the pectoral fin. There are many minke whales in Newfoundland.
1. Finback Whales
Finbacks, also known as fin whales, are the largest whale species living around Newfoundland. They are hard to spot since they do not come close to shore. However, if you ever spot one you will know exactly what you are witnessing, since they are even bigger than humpbacks.