The burial ceremony for the whale (Photo by Quoc Trieu)
The 3.7-metre-long whale was first spotted alive by local fishermen, who tried to guide it back into deeper waters but were unsuccessful. The whale died later that afternoon. Residents then used a crane to bring the carcass ashore and preserved it in ice while preparing for a traditional burial.
On the morning of May 9, villagers in Binh Chau held a burial ceremony for the whale at the Trung Hoa Whale Temple.
In Vietnam, whales, everently known as Ca Ong or “Lord Whale”, are believed to be spiritual guardians of fishermen. When a whale washes ashore and dies, coastal communities often conduct ritual burials and enshrine the remains in whale temples as a sign of respect and gratitude.
The central coast, particularly Quang Nam and Quang Ngai provinces, is home to dozens of these whale temples. Ly Son Island, also in Quang Ngai, houses two of the largest preserved whale skeletons in the country, one over 22 metres long and the other around 18 metres.