The People’s Committee of O Loan Commune on May 20 issued a directive calling for stricter enforcement of regulations protecting marine wildlife, including whales recently spotted off the coast near Cu Lao Mai Nha.
Local authorities say some boats have shown signs of approaching whales too closely (Photo: Truong Nguyen).
According to local authorities, migrating whales have recently appeared in nearshore waters, surfacing to feed in what officials described as a rare natural phenomenon and a positive sign of improving marine ecosystems in the area.
Whales have appeared in waters off Cu Lao Mai Nha in Dak Lak Province (Photo: Grab from clip).
However, authorities said reports showed that several boats and speedboats carrying tourists and photographers had begun approaching the whales at close range to capture images and videos.
Some vessels were allegedly accelerating, pursuing and surrounding the whales, behaviour that officials warned could disrupt the animals’ natural habits and habitat.
The commune government said excessive engine noise and close range pursuit could interfere with whales’ navigation, feeding and daily activities, while also increasing the risk of collisions and injury to the animals and damage to the marine ecosystem.
The appearance of the whales has delighted residents and visitors alike (Photo: Ha My).
To strengthen protection of endangered and rare marine species while ensuring safety for local ecotourism activities, the O Loan Commune People’s Committee ordered local police, military forces and the An Hai Border Guard Station to increase monitoring and inspections of watercraft operating in the area.
Authorities were instructed to promptly detect, warn or penalise violations affecting public order, waterway traffic safety and the marine environment.
The directive also called for stricter handling of spontaneous tourism activities involving large gatherings or unauthorised whale watching tours that could harm the ecosystem.
Local authorities further warned against spreading false or misleading information related to whale sightings on social media platforms.
The commune government urged residents, fishermen and boat operators not to chase, surround or approach whales too closely in order to avoid disturbing the natural behaviour of the protected marine animals.
When whales are spotted, vessels are required to reduce speed, maintain a safe distance, minimise engine noise and avoid actions such as blocking or cutting across the animals’ path.
Authorities also warned against dumping rubbish, oil, plastic waste or other pollutants into the sea, stressing that such activities threaten the marine ecosystem.
The directive prohibited operators from exploiting whale sightings to organise spontaneous tourism activities or unsafe crowd gatherings on the water.
Residents were also encouraged to immediately notify authorities if whales become entangled in fishing nets, injured, stranded or display unusual behaviour so rescue operations could be carried out promptly.
Officials said any individuals intentionally harming whales or disrupting their natural habitat would face legal penalties under Vietnamese law.
