Act of Heroism: Canadian Kids Save Stranded Baby Beluga Whale on Beach
What could be more wonderful than enjoying a sunny day at the beach? Well, certainly being hailed as heroes! Such is the story of a group of children in Canada. While on vacation along the shores of the St. Lawrence River in Quebec, Canada, an unexpected event unfolded on the beach.
As the family’s children were having fun, they noticed a marine creature struggling on the shore. Upon closer inspection, they realized it was a baby beluga whale. The poor little calf was only a few hours old and appeared to have lost its mother, ending up stranded on the sand. The baby whale’s fate seemed grim, but the compassionate children decided to take action.
“We dug a hole so that water would accumulate and its skin would hydrate,” explained Nicholas Milliard, 15, who discovered the calf along with his younger brothers. “Every five minutes we got it a bucket of water. The water level was dropping, and it was becoming more and more difficult to get water.”
Their efforts did not go unnoticed for long. Researchers from the Group for Research and Education on Marine Mammals soon arrived at the scene and rescued the stranded baby whale. They managed to return the little one to the water and introduced it to a group of Beluga whales in the hope that it would find a lactating female to care for it. Thanks to these dedicated kids, the young beluga now has another chance at life.
Although finding its mother would be an almost impossible task, the rescue team remains hopeful. Beluga whales are highly social animals, which increases the chances of the orphaned baby being adopted by another female. Below, you can watch another baby whale rescue attempt, documented by the Quebec Marine Mammal Emergency Response Network.
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