A huge Cuvier Beaked whale decided to swim into the white sand swimming cove of The Palmyra.
ROSE HALL, MONTEGO BAY, JAMAICA - February 19, 2010: The Palmyra Resort & Spa celebrated a successful whale rescue on Saturday 13 February, when a huge Cuvier Beaked whale decided to swim into the white sand swimming cove of Jamaica's fashionable luxury beachfront community, surprising owners, guests and staff.
The 15 feet long and 1,200 pound mammal, which was spotted swimming in the shallow waters in close proximity to the resort's beach around 12:00 noon, appeared to have followed a school of fish into the private swimming cove.
The mammal stayed in the shallow waters for almost half-an-hour giving dozens of visitors the chance to have a close look at the magnificent creature, which quickly earned the nickname "The Palmyra Whale". Said condo owner Tony King from New York, who filmed the extraordinary visit; "I have never seen a whale that close, as a matter of fact, I have never seen a whale in my life! It was a great experience."
Concerned for the welfare of the animal and uncertain of how to treat it, General Manager of The Palmyra Resort & Spa, Lester Scott, called two marine mammal specialists at a nearby resort for assistance. Explained Scott: "The whale swam around the shallows for about 30 minutes and nearly beached itself a couple of times. Our biggest concern was to make sure that the mammal was not injured and that we were going to be able to get it back out into the open water."
Due to a combination of low tide and oncoming waves, the Cuvier Beaked whale experienced difficulty trying passing the underwater breakwaters, which protects the swimming cove of the premier retreat. After witnessing several attempts, mammal specialist Deloy Peharie and landscape architect Kevin Rosen both jumped into the water to help the mammal into deep waters.
Said Peharie, a trained marine mammal specialists, "Whales pose no danger to humans, they are very rarely a threat. They are more scared of you than you are of them."
Said Rosen, General Manager of Caribbean Gardens, who didn't hesitate to dive into the Caribbean Sea to help the gentle giant; "The mammal was doing the same thing I was doing an hour earlier, which was fishing down the beach. I would do it again in a heartbeat."
