A whale is seen in Nha Trang Bay on July 22. Video by Duy Khuong.
At around 12. 30 pm, Nguyen Duy Khuong, a member of the Sailing Club Divers, was guiding a group of tourists on a scuba diving trip about 13 nautical miles off the coast when he noticed a large flock of seabirds circling overhead. Moments later, a whale surfaced and began feeding near their location.
“The whale kept diving and resurfacing to hunt. Above it, seabirds circled in excitement. It was quite a sight. Some of us recorded the scene on our phones,” Khuong said. He added that due to the distance, the exact size of the whale could not be determined.
The whale remained in the area for about 10 minutes before diving and swimming away.
According to the Nha Trang Bay Management Board, the sighting occurred in a strictly protected zone within the marine reserve, signaling a positive sign of environmental recovery in the area.
Covering nearly 250 square kilometres, Nha Trang Bay is one of Vietnam’s 16 national marine protected areas and boasts one of the world's most diverse coral reef ecosystems.
Earlier in July, whales were also spotted off the coasts of Gia Lai and Dak Lak provinces, drawing significant public interest.
In Gia Lai, a growing trend of hiring boats to go whale watching has prompted local authorities to issue warnings. Officials cautioned that spontaneous groups crowding around whales with speedboats and canoes could stress the animals, potentially causing them to flee or become stranded.
