MUST SEE: baby whale rescued off Australian coast
Digital Reporter
Friday, July 11, 2014, 6:10 PM - It took authorities five attempts over 38 hours to rescue a stranded two year-old humpback whale on Australia's Gold Coast.
A huge crowd gathered to watch the dramatic scene.
Crews attached a custom harness to the animal while specialists from Sea World attempted to lure the baby back into the water.
The whale was returned to sea but then quickly got stuck on an offshore sandbar.
Sea World's marine animal supervisor Tacha Mulligan told the Brisbane Times that her team worked to keep the whale comfortable during the ordeal.
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"We're looking at a 15- to 20-tonne animal that's up on the beach so we'll be doing our very best to make sure it's as stress-free as possible," she said during the rescue.
According to the Times of Oman, it's not uncommon for whales to become beached in Australia, but marine experts aren't sure why.
When the whale was finally freed, it "waved" goodbye to its rescuers.
