Beached whale dies at Long Sands Beach despite rescue attempt: 'Very upsetting'

YORK, Maine — A live minke whale washed ashore at Long Sands Beach Friday and did not survive despite a rescue attempt.

The whale was seen beached Friday evening in front of several onlookers. Marine Mammals of Maine, an organization that rescues beached marine life, was called to the scene, according to York police. The whale, 25 feet long and male, was in poor health and did not make it before rescuers arrived, according to the organization.

“While response and recovery teams were headed to the scene, the minke whale sadly passed,” a post from Marine Mammals of Maine on Facebook. “Upon arrival, our work transitioned to a recovery effort.”

The whale was retrieved and transported by Harry Doughty and Son to a necropsy site, arriving at 2 a.m. Saturday, according to the organization. Later that day, the team conducted a full internal evaluation and learned the whale was in poor nutritional condition when the animal beached itself.

Marine Mammals of Maine said the necropsy team is still working to complete the evaluation. They said it could take extensive time for samples to be processed and more details to become available.

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Marine Mammals of Maine did not return a call Monday, they thanked those who offered help and support in their Facebook post. They said the team is “all too familiar with the feeling of being faced with an animal in need of help and wanting to take action.” They said they were grateful to be part of a community that cares as deeply about its marine wildlife as they do.

“We unfortunately know events like this will likely occur again in the future,” the organization wrote, “But also know we can continue to be there with the help of the compassionate coastal communities in Maine.”

Bystanders attempted at one point to save the whale while it was still alive and push it back into the ocean. Joe Lipton, who owns the Stones Throw Inn Restaurant at Long Sands Beach, said he saw a group of about eight surfers attempt to push the whale back but struggled with the tide. He said he saw police eventually arrive and discourage people from approaching the animal.

“Obviously your reaction is to help and save,” Lipton said.

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York police asked beachgoers in a 10:05 p.m. Facebook post that night to stay away from the deceased animal, as the team removing the whale was still waiting for the tide to go out so they could approach it.

“We understand that this is very upsetting to many of you,” York police wrote in the post. “But if there is any good that comes of this situation, please help make it so that our community did the right things to help take care of this unfortunate situation.”

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Beached minke whale dies at Long Sands Beach in York, Maine