Full Breakdown
Community Rescue of Two Pilot Whales in Point May, Newfoundland
By Drooid · · How we work
Rescue Overview
On a Sunday in early 2024, two pilot whales became beached on the sand near a residence in Point May, a small community on Newfoundland’s Burin Peninsula. Residents quickly gathered, and the effort to return the animals to the sea lasted more than four hours. Approximately twenty people, including a fishing boat crew and an excavator operator, worked together to keep the whales hydrated and free from the sand.
Community Mobilization
Town councilor Matt Lamkin described how he and his children first noticed the whales in “pretty dire straits.” Residents poured water over the animals, used buckets, hoses, and an excavator to loosen the sand, and repeatedly moved the whales toward deeper water. The town’s mayor, Darren Harris, supplied a water pump and personally drove the excavator, coordinating the volunteers as the rescue progressed.
Official Guidance and Local Response
Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) initially advised that the whales should be left alone, warning that they were likely to die if disturbed. Lamkin and Harris rejected that recommendation, arguing that immediate action was necessary to give the whales a chance of survival. Their response illustrates a local decision to prioritize direct intervention over the federal advisory.
Outcome and Aftermath
Both whales were eventually guided back into the ocean. Observers noted one whale beginning to blow its blowhole, a sign of revived breathing. However, the female of the pair later died, as reported by Mayor Harris the following day. The incident highlighted the community’s capacity to organize rapid wildlife assistance despite conflicting official advice.
Verbatim Quotes
- “We were advised from [Fisheries and Oceans Canada] to kind of leave the whales alone and stay away from their tails. But, like, I went down to investigate with my kids, and we could see that it was [bad], like they were in pretty dire straits,” — Matt Lamkin, a town councilor in the Burin Peninsula community
- “Once we [saw] the first one starting to blow his blowhole and splash around and stuff, everybody was so excited,” — Matt Lamkin, a town councilor in the Burin Peninsula community