Kind Group of Tourists Help Guide Pilot Whales Back Into the Ocean After Mass Stranding

What happens when a school of pilot whales finds themselves a little bit off course? Fortunately for these whales who ended up stranded on the beach right outside of a hotel in Sandos Papagayo, Spain, the answer was clear: get them back out to sea! Tourists rushed into the water and assisted the whales by guiding them back into the ocean, some even swimming out with them to ensure they were well on their way home.

Becoming stranded near shore is an incredibly traumatic experience for these intelligent creatures, and it has been compared to the human equivalent of being in a car accident. Luckily, these tourists recognized the whales’ signs of distress and didn’t hesitate to begin steering them back to sea. Sadly, there have been other incidents where the animals weren’t so lucky and were posed with for pictures, maneuvered, or kept out of water longer than necessary resulting in the injury or even death of the animals.

If you see a beached or stranded animal in distress, never take advantage of their vulnerability for the sake of Instagram likes. While these tourists did the best they could in the situation at hand, it’s always best to call in help from professionals to ensure that you don’t hurt them more than help them. You can follow these simple steps and call this hotline for a trained professional to provide assistance.