A family saved the life of a stranded newborn whale - by following the 'rules' and not taking selfies with the distressed mammal.
The baby beluga whale had washed up on a beach on Canada when it was spotted by the Milliard family who were out for a stroll.
Thankfully, the group were well aware of the best course of action and called for help from experts.
While they were waiting, the family poured buckets of water over the whale and kept it cool by shading it from the sun.
Nicholas Milliard, 15, told CBC : "We dug a ditch [around the baby] so that water would accumulate and its skin would hydrate. Every five minutes we got it a bucket of water."
Dolphin researcher Dr Justin Gregg: "A stranded dolphin [or whale] is by definition not okay.
"And it's difficult to know why it has stranded. If it is injured or ill, then an expert needs to determine the best thing to do, and if it needs medical attention.
"Refloating it right away might not be the safest or best thing. And if it's too weak to swim well and keep its blowhole above water, it might drown."
In the US, picking up, moving, or touching a dolphin or whale – even during a rescue attempt – is a violation of the Marine Mammal Protection Act and carries hefty fines.
So, if you find a dolphin or a whale stranded on a beach, there are a few simple rules you must follow.
DO
- Contact wildlife officials
- Pour water over the animal
- Keep the whale or dolphin in the shade
DON'T
- Put the animal back in the sea
- Stop for a selfie - it draws unwanted attention