Catching waves is not all that surfers are up to these days. On the Boca Barranca beach in Costa Rica, a group of brave surfers became heroes to a small baby whale.
With boards in hand, the band of curious surfers headed into the water when their surfing plans came to an abrupt halt. The group of men noticed something dark floating in a small part of the river near the beach and set off to investigate it. As they got closer, they heard the heart-wrenching sounds of a small animal crying out in distress. Without hesitation, the brave surfers let their hearts lead the way as they jumped in to help the poor baby.
Mauricio Camareno and his friends came to the small pilot whale’s rescue just in time. The little whale was suffering from exhaustion. It appears that the baby was caught in a low tide and its small body became extremely tired as it tried to stay afloat. Exhaustion creates weakness in the body, and since baby pilot whales are not born with an adequate amount of body fat to allow them to float easily, this weakness makes them vulnerable to many dangers, including drowning. Suffocation and drowning can occur when whales are unable to reach the surface to breathe.
These brave surfers are proof that a hero may come in all shapes and sizes. Without a thought, this group of men put aside their own wants, desires, and even needs to save a helpless animal in danger. For six straight hours, the men held and guided the defenseless creature to safer waters, and if that was not enough heroism, the group kept holding that baby as they waited until the water was safe and the animal was strong enough to release. This was not an easy task as baby whales can weigh more than 130 pounds, and with the water as a constant lubricant, they can be very slippery.
Featured photo credit: Photograph courtesy of Noticias del Puerto. via thedodo.com
