Fishermen Rescue Pilot Whales

Sulawesi waters teem with life of all sizes, including cetaceans. Last week a pod of 18 whales beached near the border of Gorontalo and North Sulawesi provinces, only a few hours east of diving sites. Miguel’s Diving staff confirmed with fishermen friends that these were Short-finned pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus). For some reason the pod entered a small cove that only has a narrow outlet to the sea and beached. Using only their small outrigger canoes powered by tiny motors, local fishermen were able to tow the whales outside the inlet to the open sea. Fifteen were saved. The huge carcasses of the three that died were also towed out to sea away from homes. We have reported the incident to the biologist at North Sulawesi’s Bunaken Marine Park.