KHÁNH HÒA – A large dolphin has paid a rare visit to the shallow waters of Cam Ranh Bay in the coastal province of Khánh Hòa.

At first, swimmers thought it was a shark when they saw its fin and scrambled to get out of the water, but when Alma Resort lifeguards confirmed it was a dolphin, visitors relaxed and remarked they felt lucky to witness the moment.

“It’s not every day you get to swim near a dolphin in crystal clear conditions,” said Nguyễn Ngọc Tân, who filmed the dolphin this week, saying the mammal seemed “fearless yet friendly” as he and his fellow lifeguards approached it via jet ski.   

The dolphin appears near Alma Resort in Cam Ranh Bay. VNS Photo Nguyễn Ngọc Tân

Estimating it to be 3.5m long, Tân and his colleagues said the mammal appeared weak and may have been slightly injured before coming closer to the shoreline. It later swam back to deeper areas.

The lifeguards have spoken with various wildlife conservation and research groups, including the Centre for Biodiversity Conservation and Endangered Species, to inform them about the sighting. 

“Schools of dolphins were recently sighted a little bit further out in nearby Nha Trang’s seas but we’ve never seen a dolphin this close to the shore before,” Alma’s general manager Herbert Laubichler-Pichler said. “The dolphins may be attracted to calmer waters as a result of less tourism activity in the wake of COVID-19.” VNS