Time Runs Out For Beached Whale

Time is running out for a 45 foot sperm whale which became trapped on a beach in County Donegal.

Marine experts say that they have no way of saving the whale that was found washed ashore at Gweedore in Ireland last week. Joe Gettings from the National Parks and Wildlife Service said the what was just too sick to move. "To be honest, the trauma associated with trying to refloat this animal, I think, would probably kill it any way", Mr Gettings said. "We are expecting it to die fairly soon. The problem we have is that it is not practical to refloat this animal. It is too big and too heavy." Last December, another dead sperm whale that was 43 feet long, washed up on a Moray beach in Scotland. That whale was found by a dog walker and souvenir hunters had removed the animal's lower jawbone.