Whales recorded while swimming in the sea off Cô Tô in Quảng Ninh Province. — Photo screenshots

QUẢNG NINH — Numerous pods of whales have visited Cô Tô District's beach in Quảng Ninh Province over the last few days.

"Local fishmen reported that they consecutively saw whales appearing in surrounding waters of the island district in the last two months," said Nguyễn Hải Linh, head of Cô Tô's Culture, Information and Tourism Department.

"As what I knew, at least four pods of whales, from three to five individuals each, came to our waters. The mammals are from 5m to 10m long and mostly swim at the Đầu Trâu Sea and Móng Rồng Reef, about 700m from Cô Tô Island.

"Whales often appear from 15-20 minutes at around 5-8am in the morning and swim very close to fishermen's boats."

In a 35-second clip by fisherman Vương Ngọc Thủy recorded on September 22, whales surfaced and played with each other while eating.

"They were in front of me in about one hour before leaving. Living and working here since 1979, I have never seen such an interesting and exciting scene in my life," said Thủy who recorded the video to share his luck with other people.

Previously, Cô Tô was also a favourite destination for large turtles and dolphins.

Linh explained that in September, Cô Tô is home to a school of small fish which lure whales to come and feed.

"Whales visit us every year but in small numbers. This is also a signal that this sea area is safe and unpolluted. The rising number of them this year shows that Cô Tô's marine ecosystem is recovering well," Linh said.

The Cô Tô's sea environment quality has been strongly improved since the district pushed up activities to clean the water, reduce plastic waste and stop destructive fishing practices since August 2022. — VNS