'Gods of the ocean': Why Vietnamese fishermen worship the whale

Co is the leader of a group of worshippers on the island who pray to whale spirits, asking for a good catch and protection at sea. Photos: Chris Humphrey/dpa

Under a sweltering sun, 84-year-old Nguyen Co looks out from the stone steps of a temple on Ly Son Island off the coast of central Vietnam.

A broad grin spreads across his leathery face, even as he turns his gaze to a huge mound where a six-metre-long whale lies buried – the sea creature he has come to worship.Co is the leader of a group of worshippers on the island who pray to whale spirits, asking for a good catch and protection at sea.