Article content continued

“It’s quite remarkable… how quickly the word spread in this little rural community and how enthusiastically people reacted to a bunch of mammals like us who were in deep distress,” said MacIntyre in a phone interview from his home.

“There was something kind of magical about the spirit on the shore, dealing with these magnificent beasts.”

MacIntyre said about 25 people poured buckets of water over the whales, but the rough surf was keeping them wet, so their main concern was propping the heavy whales upright and keeping their blowholes uncovered so they did not drown.

As the tide came in, residents worked together to move the whales to safety in deeper water, with some people wading up to their necks, he said.

MacIntyre said the freed whales were reluctant to leave without the rest of their pod.

“They’re so socially conscious of one another that one will not leave when the others are still trapped,” said MacIntyre, adding that the whales were mostly quiet except for a calf that was whimpering.

“When we got one loose we had to keep him from coming back into trouble. People would get one out and have to stand there and keep waving him away.”

MacIntyre said he helped get one of the larger whales to safety and that whale appeared to be the pod’s leader, as the others were following him.

“I suddenly found myself standing up to my neck in this pod of very large critters,” said MacIntyre. “When the big guy realized he had what was left of the family, you could see the whole lot of them making their way out in this tight little group. It was kind of like they were having a discussion as they went.