Rescuers came to the aid of two stranded humpback whales on the province of Buenos Aires’s coastline in Argentina, saving both whales within 48 hours.
The first whale, a juvenile female humpback weighing approximately 8 tons and measuring 32 feet long, ran aground on Sunday, Oct. 3, according to the Mundo Marino Foundation, near the beaches of Nueva Atlantis.
A neighbor alerted the foundation, who performed the rescue with assistance from various Argentinian officials.
Despite initial difficulties, the rescuers secured slings under the whale’s body and used a backhoe to place her in deeper waters.
The second whale, a juvenile humpback male measuring over 27 feet long and weighing about 7 tons, was found near La Lucila del Mar on Monday, Oct. 4.
Rescue work began on the morning of Oct. 5. Employing the same rescue tactics used previously, the Mundo Marino Foundation successfully relocated the male.
This video shows the rescue of the two whales, who both swim off amid cheers from rescuers.
