Taiwanese elementary school sets up rescue pond for stranded whale

台灣小學為擱淺的鯨魚設立了緊急救護池

New Taipei elementary school sets up rescue pond to care for beached whale


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) -- After a dwarf sperm whale became stranded on Jinqing Beach in New Taipei City's Jinshan District on Tuesday (March 20), it was hurriedly rushed to nearby Guandu Elementary School for rehabilitation with the hope that it can quickly return to the sea, according to the the school's principal Wu Wen-te (吳文德), reported CNA.

The dwarf sperm whale which became stranded was determined to be a female and is 280 centimeters in length. When it was found it was quite distressed and was lean, but had not suffered serious injuries.

At 6 p.m., the whale was sent to Guandu Elementary School where a temporary holding tank was quickly set up, and after an night of care it was able to float and swim on its own.

Yang Wei-cheng (楊瑋誠,), Chairman of the Taiwan Cetacean Society, told CNA that blood tests have been completed and only after other follow-up examinations such as ultrasound are to be performed, can it be determined what the next step should be. "In the past a small dolphin was rescued and it took four months," said Yang.

Wu was very moved that he was able to assist in the rescue of the whale and he hopes that it will be able to regain its strength and return to the ocean as soon as possible.


Rescuers provide emergency care for whale. (CNA image)

Guandu Elementary School established an ocean education center and two years ago signed a cooperation agreement with the Taiwan Cetacean Society. As part of the agreement, in the event a whale or dolphin becomes stranded, the school agreed to have an emergency pond at the ready to help improve the survival rate of such cetaceans.

Wu told CNA that a rescue pond for whales requires a large amount of space, clean water and drainage facilities. He said that the school has a large recycling site with the right conditions and that the rescue of cetaceans and marine biology education are closely related, and for that reason he did not hesitate to sign the agreement with the Taiwan Cetacean Society to be on "standby" in the event of an emergency.

Wu said that when he received a call on Tuesday afternoon, he immediately cleared the recycling field with the help of the school's teachers and coordinated with Taiwan Cetacean Society members on assembling the rescue pond.

Wu said that this is also a good opportunity for the to invite members of the Taiwan Cetacean Society to educate the students about the the habitat and behavior of the dwarf sperm whales. He said the students were very excited to see the whale up close and in person.


As water rises, rescuers closely monitor whale. (CNA image)