A baby baleen whale that was trapped in a yacht marina has been safely rescued with the help of the Coast Guard and returned to the sea.

According to the Tongyeong Coast Guard on June 26, a report was received at 9:16 a.m. that day from a local fishing village chief, stating that a live whale was circling inside the yacht marina at Geunpo Port in Nambu-myeon, Geoje, Gyeongsangnam-do, unable to find its way out.

The Coast Guard dispatched a coastal rescue boat from the Geoje Nambu Substation to the scene, where they discovered the whale circling near the corner of the breakwater, unable to locate the exit.

The whale was estimated to be 3.5 meters in length. The Tongyeong Coast Guard guided the whale toward the exit and successfully returned it to the open sea after about an hour.

After consulting with the Cetacean Research Center under the National Institute of Fisheries Science, the Tongyeong Coast Guard confirmed that the stranded whale was a baby baleen whale less than a year old.

"Thanks to the prompt report and on-site response, we were able to safely return the protected whale to the sea," said an official from the Tongyeong Coast Guard. "We will continue to do our best for the rescue of marine life and the safety of the public."

(Photo: Provided by Tongyeong Coast Guard, Yonhap News)