Stranded whales pushed back into the sea at Panadura

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s navy said more than 100 whales had been rescued after becoming stranded on a beach on the island’s southwest coast a day earlier, Reuters reported.

Villagers defied a novel coronavirus curfew to join the navy, wading into the breaking surf to push the small whales back into the sea at Panadura, south of Colombo.

“We pushed back all of them last night, about 100 to 120 whales,” navy spokesman Captain Indika de Silva told Reuters.

Four of the whales died during the rescue operation, he added.

“I was fishing when I saw a dark patch and about 100 came ashore,” said fisherman Upul Ranjith.

“We’ve pushed as many as we can back to sea.”