Sperm whales beached in Indonesia rescued by volunteers

Six sperm whales beached on the northern tip of Sumatra in Indonesia have been rescued by volunteers.

The rescuers worked late into the night to free six of 10 massive sperm animals using ropes and patrol boats and turn them back into the waters off Aceh province.

They were unable to save the other four whales.

“Some people got injured on the coral and the high tide was also an obstacle but we tried our best,” Sapto Aji Prabowo, head of the Aceh conservation agency, said today.

“It is an important lesson for us on how to evacuate such huge animals if it happens again.”

It was not known why the sperm whales, which are among the biggest mammals on the planet, had washed up in shallow water.