Firefighters, police and residents of Boryeong City, South Chungcheong Province spent close to nine grueling hours saving a family of three short-finned pilot whales that washed ashore on Jangan Beach after getting stranded during low tide.

Two adult males, both over five-meters long, survived the ordeal, but a female whale calf was not so lucky.

One marine expert says this whale species has particularly strong parental instincts, which is why adults accompanied the little one.

The short-finned pilot whale belongs to the oceanic dolphin family, but its behavior is closer to that of a whale.

The exact cause of beached whales is still not known. Some speculate it is because the whales involved are sick.

Arirang News