Rescuers help stranded 65ft whale get back into the sea
The huge sperm whale became stranded near Ningbo City, south of Shanghai, on Tuesday morning (Picture: Rex)
A 65ft whale that washed up on a beach in China was towed back into the sea following a 20-hour rescue operation.
The huge sperm whale became stranded near Ningbo City, south of Shanghai, on Tuesday morning.
There were fears it would die of dehydration if it was not pushed back into the sea in time.
Although whales breath oxygen like land mammals, they need water to stop them from overheating.
Beached whales are also at risk of collapsing under their own weight, or drowning when high tide covers their blowhole.
Rescuers help stranded whale get safely back to sea after 20-hour struggle
The rescue operation took almost a full day
Rescuers dug a trench pool of seawater to keep the whale alive (Picture:Xinhua/REX/Shutterstock)
The whale in Ningbo was said to be in critical condition when it was discovered on the shore near Xiangshan County.
Firefighters sent a rescue team who sprinkled water on the whale’s 20-meter long body and dug a trench pool of seawater to keep it alive.
Volunteers also joined in to help move the whale, which weighed an estimated 10 tons.
The team tied the whale with guide ropes and towed it to shallow waters.
Beached whales are at risk of dying of dehydration or collapsing under their own weight (Picture: Xinhua/REX/Shutterstock)
The whale weighed around 10 tons (Picture: Xinhua/REX/Shutterstock)
The whale was eventually towed back into deeper waters (Picture: Xinhua/REX/Shutterstock)
When the tide reached its highest at about 10pm, a tugboat was used to help move the whale deeper into the sea.
At about 5:30 am on Wednesday, the rescue team cut the hauling cable and set the whale free in deep waters.
Footage posted by local media showed authorities rescue efforts as well as the successful release of the creature.
The whale could be seen swimming off into the distance as the sun rises following the dramatic rescue mission.
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