Marines were filmed struggling to move a huge dead whale that had beached itself on Mexican shores
Marines were filmed struggling to move a huge dead whale that had beached itself on Mexican shores
Footage shows marines struggling to move a huge dead whale that had beached itself on Mexican shores.

The naval servicemen are seen using ropes to haul the animal back to the sea as the beach filled with onlookers to witness the attempt.

The fin whale (Balaenoptera Physalus) had unfortunately died, so they decided to drag it to its watery grave.

The Federal Environmental Protection Agency (Profepa) in coordination with the Navy administration (Semar), quickly arrived on the sombre scene at Nuevo Vallarta beach.

But they found that the stranded whale was already in the advanced stages of decomposition, so it was not possible to extract tissues for analysis.

It is not known how the animal died.

Complying with the protocol of the Profepa, Semar, Civil Protection and non-governmental organisations, they dragged the specimen with a marine Secretariat vessel, moving the whale offshore to decompose naturally.

As it is a site frequented by tourists and locals, the body was taken to a place where it will not cause public health problems.

Beached whales often die due to dehydration, collapsing under their own weight or suffocation when their blowholes are blocked with water.

Around 2,000 whales beach themselves across the world every year.

Mass beachings can also occur, when numerous whales become stranded at one time.

One theory of why this happens is that one of the whales becomes lost and confused, and sends a honing signal leading others to the shore.

The body was moved offshore to decompose naturally in a place where it would not cause public health problems
The body was moved offshore to decompose naturally in a place where it would not cause public health problems
Video here