Such challenges as staying up all night, soaking in very cold seawater, bracing for high waves and heavy rain, and being on duty around the clock, indeed, do not discourage sea-loving volunteers of the Sa Sa team. They are engaged in rescuing marine animals that wash ashore in distress.

Sa Sa team’s members giving care to an injured dolphin

Le Chien, the team’s leader, said, his marine animal volunteer rescue team was named Sa Sa after the first dolphin was saved by the team when it washed up on the My Khe Beach on 30 June 2018. This special dolphin was called Sa Sa by the rescuers.

At that time, Chien, a volunteer of the One Ocean, a non-profit marine conservation organisation, wandered around the Son Tra Peninsula to seek field experiences for his research entitled ‘Conservation and Rehabilitation of the Son Tra Coral Reefs’ when he heard of Sa Sa dolphin which was being trapped on the shore with signs of being badly injured.

Chien immediately called on his friends to arrive at the scene to help Sa Sa which could not swim due to a severe injury as a result of a suspected shark attack.

At that time, Sa Sa was seriously injured and exhausted. Hence, Chien thought that if it was released to the sea, the survival chance would be slim. As a result, Chien and other rescuers decided to gently roll it onto ashore for treatment.

After having given first aid to the stranded dolphin, the rescuers took turns to take care of it, feed it some milk, keep it in water and wholeheartedly comfort the sick animal through the night.

Sa Sa was then sent to the Vinpearl Nha Trang for further treatment. Unfortunately, despite the dedicated care from experts at this venue, Sa Sa died later.

In late July, the Sa Sa team stayed up all night to save a whale which was injured and trapped on the shore off the Ky Ha Beach in Quang Nam Province.

After having been treated kindly and appropriately, the rescued mammal was released back to the ocean safely.

Sa Sa rescuers regularly doing exercise to enhance their physical strength, ready for their tough rescue missions

Sharing his experiences, Chien noted that rescuing a live stranded whale or dolphin requires basic knowledge on how to give first aid to it.

Of note, rescuers should not drag the seriously injured marine mammal back to the water because this may pose a danger to it.

At the same time, it should be kept in mind that crowds of people are kept away from the injured whale or dolphin, a move to reduce the stress to which this highly sensitive mammal may be exposed.

In particular, Chien raised his deep concern over the fact that coastal villagers see a whale being trapped on the shore, they conduct a burial ceremony for the mammal for good lucks. It's a pity that whales were buried alive in some cases!

Therefore, it is essential that such an appropriate ritual should be abolished in a bid to protect whales and dolphins which are some of the most playful and intelligent animals on our planet.

In recent days, the Sa Sa team have become actively involving in searching for an injured tortoise that was save and then released by a group of young people on Ly Son Island off the coast of the central province of Quang Ngai.

They are also looking for information on a dolphin which was reported to have been washed up on the Binh Duong Beach, Thang Binh District, Quang Nam Province.

Nguyen Minh Thu, the only female rescuer of the volunteer team said she is very happy to make something meaningful to protect marine creatures through her rescue work with other her team members.

Chien is planning to set up a group which is in charge of collecting fishing gears that are lost accidentally during storms and abandoned deliberately in the ocean.

Every year, a large number of whales, dolphins, seals and turtles, and other sea creatures have been caught in these “ghost gears”.

This marine rescuer happily said his volunteer work is receiving enthusiastic response from many young people who are always filled with love for the ocean.