A large whale, believed to be a 15-meter-long sperm whale, has appeared off the coast of Gwangyang Port in South Jeolla Province, attracting attention.
According to the Yeosu Coast Guard, at around 9:48 a.m. on the 4th, a report was received that there was a large whale off the coast of Songdo, in Gwangyang Port.
The Gwangyang Police Station, Maritime Disaster Rescue Team, etc. were immediately dispatched and confirmed that the whale was about 15 meters long.
The coast guard consulted with the National Institute of Fisheries Science's Whale Research Institute and Yeosu Aqua Planet on the type of whale and how to handle it, and guided it to the open sea.
The whale almost got stuck in the pollution prevention screen installed at Gwangyang Port, but fortunately escaped the danger zone and gradually dived into deeper waters and disappeared around 1:30 p.m.
The Coast Guard asked nearby vessels to report any sightings, as the whale could be pushed into shallow waters.
A coastguard official said: "This is an extremely unusual event, so much so that even experts say it is the first time a sperm whale has appeared near the coast," adding: "If you see a protected marine creature entering shallow waters or beaching itself, please report it immediately to the coastguard or 119."
Gwangyang=Reporter Kim Seon-deok sdkim@segye.com
[ⓒ세계일보 & Segye.com, 무단전재및재배포금지]
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