Rescue teams battle to save minke whale

from John Kinsman

Rescuers battled to save a mink whale beached in the Neuk of Fife on April 21st.

The 21ft long minke whale was stranded at Largo Bay on the Firth of Forth between Elie and Lower Largo. A first attempt failed when it was refloated only to beach again on a rocky reef. By the time it was refloated again at around 10pm it was too dark to see whether the female minke whale had remained in the water.

Members of the rescue team which included medics from British Divers Marine Life Rescue, coastguards, SSPCA, and Coastwatch St Monans helped in the rescue operation.

The distressed but unhurt mammal was reported to police by a member of the public at 4pm and rescuers attached inflatable pontoons and gave first aid to keep it alive as they waited for the high tide.

A spokesperson for BDMLR said “We got it refloated and it went into the bay then it stranded again on a rocky reef. We refloated it again but lost sight of it in the darkness.”

A search of the area was made the next day and there was no sighting of the whale. A good outcome, it seems.