Shocking footage has captured the moment beachgoers rallied to push a wounded whale, which washed ashore at Bondi Beach, back into the surf.
In video and images uploaded to Facebook, a group of swimmers can be seen standing around the animal as it lies beached in the surf.
The original poster asks: “Does anyone have videos of the injured dolphin in Bondi Beach (backpackers rip) shore from March 26th Thursday? Specifically the rescue attempt to push the Dolphin back into the water.”
Some mistake the animal for a dolphin as others point out it is a Blainville’s beaked whale – found in tropical to temperate waters all over the world.
The whale can be seen sporting puncture wounds and pooling blood into the surf.
“He’s severely injured and should not have been pushed back into the water. ORRCA (Organisation for the Rescue and Research of Cetaceans in Australia) should have been contacted,” another woman writes on the post.
In a post on Instagram, Bondi Lifeguards confirmed they attended and assisted with the whale’s rescue.
“The whale was exhausted and had sustained a number of cuts and lacerations,” Bondi Lifeguards wrote in their post.
“The boys rallied together a group of men to help get it back in the water.
“Luckily the waves were washing through enough that they were able to float it, and get it back in the ocean.
“After a slow start the whale eventually found a rhythm and made it out to sea.”
ORRCA said they received reports of the incident via their hotline but the whale had already been returned to the water by the time their team arrived.
“Following this, our responders monitored the area and attempted to relocate the animal, as the risk of restranding in these cases is often very high,” a spokeswoman told NewsWire.
“We absolutely recognise that when people encounter a stranded whale or dolphin, their instinct is to help, and this response comes from a place of compassion.
“However, it’s important to understand that stranding is often a symptom of an underlying issue, rather than the problem itself.”
The spokeswoman urged the public not to attempt to push stranded marine mammals back into the water in the future – and instead to dial their hotline.
“ As air-breathing animals, they are not in immediate danger from being on the beach,” the spokeswoman continued.
“In many cases, they may be unwell, injured, or disoriented, and moving them can cause further harm or reduce the likelihood of successful rehabilitation.
“There are also risks to human health and safety, as marine mammals can carry zoonotic diseases, and attempting to move them can be physically dangerous.
ORRCA has already responded to multiple rescues involving beaked whales over the past few weeks, including the rescue of a Blainville’s beaked whale on March 19 found stranded on Stockton Beach in NSW.
“Sadly, the animal was found deceased on arrival,” ORRCA wrote in a Facebook post.
“A necropsy was undertaken to help us better understand the potential cause of death. Following the necropsy, the animal was buried on Worimi country.”
On March 21, another whale was reported stranded on the shores of Windang Beach, south of Wollongong.
The organisation said the whale could not be safely returned to the ocean following a veterinary assessment.
Just a day later, ORRCA said another whale had been found dead on the shores of Toowoon Bay on the NSW Central Coast.
“This marks the third confirmed stranding of this species in just a matter of days,” ORRCA wrote on Facebook.
“While this is unusual, it is important that we do not speculate on potential causes at this stage.
“Findings from the necropsies may provide critical insights, and we will share updates as more information becomes available.”
