PHUKET - Three pygmy killer whales — a rarely seen type of oceanic dolphin — were rescued after they were found in a mangrove forest in Thalang district of this island province on Saturday morning.
Members of the Ban Ao Kung mangrove forest conservation group spotted the three sea mammals in the water among the mangroves in the Ban Ao Kung community. They took care of the animals until the tide rose and then released them into the sea.
A reliable source said the whales were pygmy killer whales (Feresa attenuata) which inhabit warm tropical and subtropical waters. They are rarely found near shore, except in coastal areas where the waters are deep and clear.
A closer look at the three pygmy killer whales found in a mangrove forest in Phuket on Saturday. (Photo: Ban Ao Kung mangrove forest conservation youth group)