Early on September 30, 2024, villagers searching for shellfish on a beach made an unusual discovery—a pink dolphin stranded on the shore. The dolphin, weighing over 150 kilograms, had small wounds on its fins and was lying on the beach after the tide had significantly receded. Shocked by the sight, the villagers quickly alerted others, including the assistant headman of the village, to assist in returning the animal to the water.
Sombat Sanmaae, the assistant village headman of Buboy Village No. 3, Laemson Subdistrict, happened to be nearby and immediately gathered a group of 4-5 people to help rescue the dolphin. Concerned for the dolphin’s survival after more than three hours out of the water, they found a rope and dragged the animal back to the sea. After 20 minutes of coordinated effort, the group managed to return the dolphin to deeper waters, where it was able to swim away.
Sanmaae noted that while he had previously seen a large whale wash ashore 40 years ago, this was his first encounter with a pink dolphin. He suspected that recent strong winds and rough waves in the area over the past few days had led to the dolphin being washed ashore. Based on its size and appearance, he believed the dolphin was likely a male.
