Stranded pilot whale receives lifesaving care in Sanya

Volunteers in Sanya, South China's Hainan province, are trading day and night shifts to stand in water with an injured short-finned pilot whale to prevent it from turning over and drowning.

The pilot whale, which measures 3.5 meters long and weighs about 1 ton, was stranded near the coastline of Haitang South Road in Sanya at around 8 am on Wednesday.

Xiong Chunlin, veterinarian at the Sanya Haichang Animal Conservation Center, said the whale had severe dehydration and diarrhea, and there were many wounds on its body.

"As soon as we discovered it, we sent eight staff members, including experienced marine animal trainers and divers, and our long stretcher to the scene and helped to move it from the beach to the conservation center," said Zhang Jiayang, director of Atlantis Sanya Ocean Marine.

In the afternoon, veterinarians from the Ocean Marine brought a B-ultrasound and other medical equipment to the conservation center to give the whale a physical examination.

"Together with other volunteers, we made a float to help it breathe and ensure it does not choke on water. And today (on Thursday), we sent six divers to care for the whale," Zhang added.

Its blood test results on Wednesday turned out fine, with some inflammation. Wednesday's ultrasound didn't show any abnormalities, and Thursday's gastroscopy didn't find any foreign bodies in its stomach, according to Zhang.

"We are doing our best to rescue and treat the injured short-finned pilot whale and the overall situation looks fine. We are doing basic nursing work, including transfusion and water supply," said Pu Bingmei, secretary general of the BlueRibbon Ocean Conservation Association, a non-profit organization based in Sanya.

Marine conservation experts from other cities, including Shanghai, Dalian, and Zhengzhou, are coming to save the whale.