Chapter 697: The Melon-Headed Whale Greets

Reporters and the nearby fire department were the fastest to arrive!

With continuous reporting from the journalists, the news of the stranded melon-headed whales quickly trended on Weibo.

Countless netizens were concerned about their fate.

"Stranded again!"

"Seeing them struggle in the mud pits is heartbreaking!"

"Melon-headed whale, what a cute name!"

"Oh my, what's been happening lately? Why are there so many reports of stranded whales? I did some research, and there have been three incidents just this month!"

"Whoa, that many? I only knew about one a few months ago!"

"Yes, and one group included mothers with calves, which is so tragic."

"Is it possible that Japan is secretly dumping nuclear waste, polluting the ocean? Is that why they came to our shores?"

"It's definitely unusual!"

"Don't speculate if you don't know. Melon-headed whales rarely appear in Japanese waters. The most likely cause is a malfunction in the pilot whale's sonar! Melon-headed whales are social animals, and if the pilot whale gets lost, it can lead the whole group to the mudflats.

These mudflats are shallow, and when the tide recedes, a vast area is exposed quickly, leading to easy stranding!"

"There's no way around it. With so many ships and various chemical wastes being discharged into the sea, it's no longer the ocean they originally inhabited."

"Increasingly frequent whale and dolphin strandings—could this be nature's warning to us?"

"Sigh, I feel so pessimistic about the future. Maybe in a few decades, the environment will be too degraded to live in."

"I remember a previous mass stranding of melon-headed whales. After the rescue, most of them died. Only a few survived in the end."

"I hope they make it!"

...

On the way to the stranding site, Fang Ye was in constant communication with various parties!

The melon-headed whales' bodies were covered with wet towels, and people were continually pouring water on them.

The water in the mud pits was too shallow, so hundreds of firefighters and villagers were digging large pits by hand on the mudflats.

They then filled these pits with seawater, allowing the melon-headed whales to submerge most of their bodies to cool down.

More supplies were being brought in from the nearest village. Villagers, carrying bamboo poles and plastic sheeting, trudged through the mudflats to set up temporary shade shelters over the whales.

Two and a half hours later, Fang Ye and his team arrived!

The fire department captain quickly greeted them without much formality, "Director Fang, you're finally here! Please check on these two melon-headed whales."

Two of them hadn't moved for a long time, their eyes closed, but the rescuers continued to cool them with water as instructed.

Without an expert's judgment, they treated them as if they were alive, not giving up any hope.

Lin Ying put on gloves, squatted down, and lifted an eyelid to carefully examine the whale's eye.

Fang Ye used his "Observation Eye" and saw the message: [Melon-headed Whale (Deceased)].

Xiao Yu said, "This whale was aggressive at first! It struggled hard against us, not letting us touch it. Its tail even knocked a villager down, but after a brief struggle, it stopped moving. The one with its head buried deep in the mud took a long time to dig out."

They exchanged glances and shook their heads, "Both are dead!"

Hearing this, the nearby crowd sighed in regret, some even shedding tears of sorrow.

Someone patted a shoulder in consolation, "We did our best!"

Two had died on the way, leaving five!

Fang Ye, somewhat prepared for this, continued to check on the other melon-headed whales!

A villager gently petted one whale while speaking soothingly, "It's okay, we're here to help you."

Xiao Yu told Fang Ye, "I've heard that cetaceans are very intelligent and sensitive animals. They seem to understand human speech. Talking to them calms them down."

Fang Ye smiled wryly, "It's not because they're intelligent; they're just too weak to resist."

[

Melon-headed Whale

Age: 15 years

Mood: Extremely frightened/terrified

Health status: Weak!

]

In the water pit, the melon-headed whale's blowhole opened and closed, emitting weak cries!

It was filled with despair, feeling incredibly unlucky today!

In the morning, they swam to this beach, and suddenly the tide receded rapidly!

Panicked, they struggled in the mud, their blowholes getting clogged, leading to suffocation.

Without the protection of moist seawater, the blazing sun felt like being in an oven.

The water on their skin quickly evaporated, and their bodies became scorching hot.

Already distressed from being stranded, seeing humans approach and surround them added to their fear.

Imagine if you were leisurely boating on the sea, and suddenly a storm capsized your boat.

Clinging to a small piece of wood, you drift with the waves, only to see a group of sharks approaching!

Their dorsal fins circle you, getting closer and closer.

The shadow of death looms, filling you with panic and despair.

In such a situation, severe stress is almost inevitable.

Like the one that died, it struggled fiercely when touched, only to die suddenly. There's nothing you can do in such cases.

This is why rescuing cetaceans is extremely challenging.

The melon-headed whales here were relatively fortunate because they contacted Fang Ye early, receiving professional guidance without making rescue mistakes.

Most people encountering stranded cetaceans don't know how to rescue them correctly. Their instinct is to push them back into the sea, which can easily injure the cetaceans or pour water into their blowholes.

Rescue organizations assess the cetaceans' condition to decide the next steps.

Whether to wait for the tide to help them return to the sea, carry them directly to the sea, or if they are too weak, transport them to a suitable place for IV treatment.

If the condition is too severe for treatment, they might euthanize the cetaceans to reduce their suffering.

Fang Ye squatted down and gently petted the melon-headed whale!

He comforted, "Don't worry, we're here now."

While petting it, he also used a calming skill.

The same comforting touch had a significantly different effect!

The melon-headed whale felt a warm and friendly aura from this person, easing its panic and fear.

Fang Ye then took a bottle of mineral water from his backpack and poured it over the whale.

Though it seemed like a regular cooling action, the bottle contained magical water.

The whale, rejuvenated by the magical water, gently wagged its tail as if greeting him.

Xiao Yu exclaimed, "Hey, it seems more lively now! It looked half-dead before, but now its tail is moving."

Fang Ye said, "Yes, this one's condition is still manageable!"