Avoid "disturbing" whale families in the waters off Gia Lai.

A family of bryde's whales, belonging to the gray whale family, consisting of three individuals (parents and calf), repeatedly appeared and foraged for several days in the famous coastal areas of the former Binh Dinh province (now Gia Lai province), such as Vung Boi - De Gi, Cat Tien, Hon Seo - Nhon Ly…

On the morning of July 6th, many tourists and photographers from across the country were present in the waters of Hon Seo - Nhon Ly ( thuộc Quy Nhon Dong ward, Gia Lai province) and once again witnessed bryde's whales surfacing to hunt for prey. The whales appeared in the sea about 300-400m from the shore.

>>>Clip capturing the moment whales feed in the waters of Hon Seo - Nhon Ly: Author: MAI HUONG

Whales feed for days near the tourist fishing village of Nhon Ly. Photo: DANG VAN HAI

Dang Van Hai (a young photographer) is observing and documenting the whale sightings, sharing: “This morning, the whales surfaced once to feed and swam and moved very quickly and vigorously. Tourists and photographers flocked to Nhon Ly beach hoping for a chance to spot and capture the moment the whales surfaced.”

According to Mr. Nguyen Huu Dao (leader of a community tourism business in Nhon Ly), whales have been feeding in the waters off Hon Seo - Nhon Ly for nearly a week. Local fishermen call them "Ong Dung" whales because of their habit of opening their mouths and holding them up towards the sky for a long time when hunting prey.

Whales weighing 10-15 tons feed in the waters off Hon Seo - Nhon Ly on the morning of July 5th. Photo: MAI HUONG

"According to our observations, this whale is 10 meters long and weighs between 10 and 15 tons. It (whales are called 'Ông' by coastal residents) usually rises to the surface to feed in the sea within 1 nautical mile of the shore," Dao added.

According to the Gia Lai Provincial Fisheries Department, from mid-June to early July 2025, whales continuously appeared in sea areas such as Xuan Thanh, Hon Kho Lon, Vung Boi - De Gi, Cat Tien, Hon Seo - Nhon Ly… These are bryde's whales, one of the rare marine mammals that need strict conservation. Monitoring shows that the whales that appeared in Gia Lai waters recently belonged to a family of three individuals (father, mother, and calf).

>>>Video of mother and baby whales feeding in Vung Boi - De Gi sea: Author: TOMY TOAN

Whales open their large mouths to hunt schools of small fish near the shore. Photo: MAI HUONG

According to Mr. Nguyen Huu Nghia, Head of the Fisheries Department of Gia Lai province, in recent years, bryde's whales have repeatedly returned to the sea off Binh Dinh (now part of Gia Lai) to feed during the summer. This is a positive sign, indicating that the marine ecosystem in Gia Lai is being well preserved and has abundant food sources.

Whales feeding on the morning of July 5th in the waters off Hon Seo - Nhon Ly. Photo: MAI HUONG

“We advise locals and tourists not to approach too closely, maintaining a minimum distance of 100 meters when encountering whales; to avoid making loud noises, and to limit fishing in whale feeding areas. If you discover a whale in trouble or stranded, you should immediately report it to the authorities so that specialized agencies can handle it; do not attempt to resolve the situation yourself,” Mr. Nghia advised.

NGOC OAI

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/han-che-quay-ray-gia-dinh-ca-voi-o-bien-gia-lai-post802676.html