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The Vietnam News

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Nearly 1,000 locals turn out in Vietnam to venerate dead whale

Nearly 1,000 people turned out to pay their respects to a dead whale discovered off the coast of southern Vietnam on Thursday, a local official said Friday. The 25-metre-long whale was found floating dead in the sea around 500 metres off the coast of Ben Tre province, said Duong Thi Hien, a local official from the province 100 kilometres south of Ho Chi Minh City.

In some parts of central and southern Vietnam, whales are still worshipped as protectors of fishermen. In Vietnamese, the mammals are called - ca ong - meaning respected elderly fish. Whales are supposed to be gods for fishermens and bless them during sea trips. There have been nearly 1,000 people from the locality and neighbourhood coming to make offerings of money and incense, said Hien. The whale, which is estimated to weigh around 30 tons, will be buried off the beach for around three months, after which its bones will be dug up and taken to a temple . The local official said he did not know the species of whale.

Deutsche Presse Agentur - April 2, 2004