Giant dead whales solemnly buried by Quang Ngai fishermen

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On May 20, fishermen of Binh Thanh commune, Binh Son district, while fishing in the waters near the shore of Hai Ninh village, spotted two giant fish drifting ashore.

"We mobilized some fishermen to help them swim off into the sea, but the female one was exhausted, and then washed over ashore," said a fisherman. "As the female fish looked like a big bell, local fishermen called it “Ba Chuong” (Ms. Bell). “Ba Chuong” was nearly 4m long and weighed about 800kg.”

Large fish continuously drifted to the coast of Quang Ngai province due to negative impacts of climate change and the phenomenon of El Niño, which has made seawater unusually warm.

After the "Ba Chuong" washed over ashore, 50 fishermen in Hai Ninh village spent more than 1 hour carrying her to the shore for funeral. When the local fishermen brought it to the burying place, they did not find any injuries. Fishermen buried her under Vietnamese fishermen’s tradition.

Earlier, on May 15, residents in Binh Hai commune, Binh Son district also held a funeral for a dead male whale weighing over 700kg.

Dr. Nguyen Tac An, former director of the Institute of Oceanography Nha Trang (Khanh Hoa province), said that large fish continuously drifted to the coast of Quang Ngai province due to negative impacts of climate change and the phenomenon of El Niño, which has made seawater unusually warm.

Whales are considered sacred animals by Vietnamese fishermen. It is a common belief among fishermen that, properly burying dead whales, sailors will be blessed with good luck, good weather, bountiful catches and protection at sea.