Sperm Whale Rescue in Bali

What better way than to close off 2025 with the successful rescue operation of a sperm whale!

On Dec 23, the Umah Lumba rescue team, together with Jembrana Police, BKSDA Bali, and Polairud Gilimanuk successfully rescued a sperm whale that had stranded in the bay directly in front of the Gilimanuk Port, in West Bali, Indonesia.

That morning at 9:00 a.m. we received a call from the marine police: an adult male sperm whale had stranded. Our team immediately went to the location and joined with the marine police and forestry authorities, as well as the Jembrana Police to start the rescue operation.

Guiding the stranded sperm whale out to deeper water, West Bali, Indonesia, 12-23-25. Credit: DolphinProject.org

It was low tide. The whale was stuck on the reef, lying in shallow water approximately 1.5 meters deep. He had many scratches all over his body from the reef cutting into his skin. With the boat we created waves, allowing the whale to move off the reef, which he had been unable to do on his own. He was now on top of the sand bank. The next challenge was to prevent the whale from entering further into the bay.

When I placed the rope on one side of his body, and the other team members received the rope on his opposite side, it became obvious that he was clearly observing our every move.

He looked straight into my eyes – a real soul, a giant being – lying helpless, begging for help.

At the highest tide level, we started to carefully move the soft ropes around his body, guiding him out to deeper water. Right before his power and speed allowed him to take off, we cut the rope. Twice, he ended up circling back to the bay area – likely disoriented from the noise pollution generated by multiple ferry boats.

But thankfully, right before sunset, the team saw this beautiful sperm whale take three deep breaths and take off – a truly euphoric moment.

For the next few days, our team was on standby, and the marine police continued monitoring. Fortunately, there was no sign of the whale again.