Whale stranded for seven hours on Auckland beach rescued (video)
An Antarctic minke whale has finally managed to get back to sea after a tense seven-hours stranded on a beach in Auckland, New Zealand.
The 'stressed' eight-metre whale was spotted by passers-by at Point Chevalier beach, and emergency services were alerted.
See also: Rare 25ft Arctic bowhead whale spotted off British coast for first time ever
A team from Project Jonah attended the scene and kept the whale alive while waiting for the tide to come in.
Concerns, however, included the weight it was putting on its own internal organs and keeping it wet enough.
Project Jonah general manager Daren Grover too TVNZ: "While this winter sun isn't very strong, the wind is blowing and it's skin will dry out quite quickly.
"Also, the weight of its own body laying on its internal organs could cause damage we don't know about."
However, he added, the whale appeared in "good health".
According to 3News, the whale managed to refloat at 2pm local time, and was spotted 3km down the Waitemata Harbour to Little Shoal Bay.
It is hoped it will now head for deeper waters.
The Antarctic minke is among the smallest of the baleen whales, with only the common minke and the pygmy right whale being smaller.
They can grow up to around 30ft, and they are the most abundant baleen whale in the world, numbering in the hundreds of thousands.
Related articles
Video: Blue whale upstages BBC presenter
Video: Orca rescued after becoming stranded on rocks
Video: Huge whale rams tiny boat head on
