Fishermen discovered a deceased whale floating approximately 2 km offshore yesterday afternoon. The whale, measuring 11 meters long and estimated to weigh nearly 8 tons, was too heavy for a single boat to handle. Multiple fishing vessels were mobilized to tow the whale ashore this morning.

Fishermen from Lien Huong bring the giant whale ashore. Photo: Tu Huynh

Nguyen Truong Sa, chairman of the Lien Huong Commune People's Committee (UBND), stated that the community conducted a traditional burial ceremony for the whale. The Lien Huong fishing community's ceremonial team prepared a grave on the beach near the village, played ceremonial music with drums and gongs, and performed the burial rites. In three years, the whale's ashes will be placed in the village shrine dedicated to whale worship.

Coastal communities in central Vietnam revere whales as sacred deities believed to protect fishermen from storms and dangers at sea. They are often referred to as "Ca Ong", which translates to "Mr. Whale". When a whale dies, fishermen hold elaborate funerals as a mark of respect.

Several coastal villages in the former Binh Thuan province (now Lam Dong), including Phan Ri, Hoa Thang, Mui Ne, Hung Long, Tien Thanh, Ke Ga, and Phuoc Hoi, have previously discovered dead whales weighing several to over ten tons washed ashore and conducted similar burial ceremonies.

Viet Quoc