Stranded whale
A humpback whale appeared to wave to its rescuers after being helped back to the sea off the coast of Mar del Tuyú, Argentina last week after becoming trapped in the shallow waters.

The whale fought the tides for over 24 hours, and dozens of rescue workers helped get it back to deeper waters, even employing a hose to help drag it further out to sea, according to reports in the Argentine media (via Reuters).

Weighing in at around 10 tons and measuring 50 feet long, the humpback whale was successfully returned to sea despite a tide that didn't get as high as rescuers hoped.

The animals are rarely spotted off the coast of Buenos Aires province and are usually are seen much further south, off the Valdes Peninsula, and between the months of September and March.


Unfortunately the story doesn't have a happy ending -- just days after its rescue, the Argentine Naval Prefecture reported that the whale was found dead, and experts believe it was sick to begin with.

Sea World biologist Sergio Heredia said, "it was evident that the animal had been leaving the sea to die. Unfortunately, there was nothing to do to save him."

Last August, a humpback measuring about 23 feet long found itself amidst the posh sailing vessles of a Buenos Aires yacht club after diverting from its usual migration route that runs betwen the country's southern tip and the warmer Brazilian waters to the north.

Rescue workers helped lure the animal back to sea.