Saving one 40-ton sperm whale is a huge feat—so when 10 live sperm whales washed ashore off the coast of Aceh in northeastern Indonesia, it required a small army of wildlife volunteers.

In an emailed statement from WWF Indonesia, representative Aryo Tjiptohandono said the WWF team, environmental officials from the Indonesian government, and the Indonesian Navy were dispatched to Ujung Kareng Beach on Monday morning. Posting live updates on their Facebook page, the local conservation group Whale Stranding Indonesia commented that rescue groups were working around the clock to save the whales.

Successfully moving whales back into the ocean requires trained professionals with the right equipment, and some luck. A whale stranded on a beach can usually only