15-foot sea creature stranded on sandbar as river rafters rush to help, video shows

River rafters in Canada recently came upon a distressing sight: a 15-foot minke whale stranded by the low tide.

They spotted the animal trapped on a sandbar in the Shubenacadie River in Nova Scotia on June 9, according to a news release from the Marine Animal Response Society (MARS), a Canadian conservation organization.

In photos and a video accompanying the release, the animal can be seen laying on its side, partially submerged in a shallow pool of water.

The rafters, who were with local boating companies, sprung into action, splashing water on the whale in an effort to keep it cool.

“Luckily, the animal was able to right itself in the rising tide and, after a bit of recovery time, was observed to be swimming normally,” MARS said in the release.

Later that day, it was spotted swimming towards the Bay of Fundy, which is downstream from the river.

The next morning, a MARS responder took part in a flight over the region to see if the animal had returned. But, there were no signs of it.

“We’re grateful for everyone’s quick actions to report this animal and provide immediate aid …” the release said.

Minke whales, which are divided into several subspecies, are widespread throughout much of the world’s oceans, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Organization (NOAA).

Distinguished by their sleek, dark bodies, they can measure up to 35 feet and weigh up to 20,000 pounds.

In recent years, large numbers of the whales have become stranded on the Atlantic coast of the U.S., resulting in 169 reported strandings between 2017 and 2024, according to NOAA.

Some of the deadly strandings could have been caused by infectious diseases or human interactions, per NOAA.

This story was originally published June 11, 2024 at 9:37 AM with the headline "15-foot sea creature stranded on sandbar as river rafters rush to help, video shows."