Time was running out when Mark Rankin and Grant Cameron arrived on a Nova Scotia Beach earlier this week.
After apparently swimming too close to shore, three pilot whales were found stranded at 9 a.m., with low tide quickly approaching.
If the two friends didn’t intervene soon, the whales might never have a chance.
One bystander told the men that the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans had been called, but this dynamic duo weren’t sure the authorities would arrive in time.
So Rankin and Cameron quickly set aside their plans to help a friend winterize his cabin and sprung into action. They also stripped down to their underwear.
Saving the pilot whales required getting into the water and that wouldn’t be easy in full winter clothes, so the two men did what was required. It was the theme of the day.
“We stripped down to our briefs and did the best we could,” Rankin told CTV News with a laugh. “We got the first one out (to sea) without too much issue. The second one, he took a little longer to come around, but we got him out into deeper water.”
One more whale remained stranded, so the team continued working, saving the third animal’s life. (Watch the video below…) After that, someone contacted the authorities again.
There was no need for any more assistance. Rankin and Cameron had stepped in—literally—to save the iconic mammals.
Authorities always urge citizens to exercise caution when interacting with wild animals because they’re often big and powerful, and good intentions can sometimes lead to misfortune.
But in this case, the heroism of the two men was purely positive. A good deed was done and three whales were saved.
“To be able to touch them and look into their eyes, that’s kind of what got us, I think, and made us do the right thing,” Rankin said.
“We feel pretty good about it, and if nothing else we’ll get a good laugh out of being on the news in our underwear.”
This article by Nathan Frederick was first published by Good News Network on 25 October 2025. Lead Image: Mark Rankin and Grant Cameron rescue stranded pilot whale on Cape Breton beach –Courtesy Martin Delorey.
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