A young sperm whale washed up on Rockaway Beach in Queens, New York, on Tuesday, and despite the rescue efforts of nearby surfers and construction workers, it died.
The whale was found struggling in the surf near Beach 73rd St. on Tuesday morning. Bystanders saw the whale struggling in the shallows and tried to turn the animal back toward the water to no avail.
A video shared by @looponline on Instagram shows the dead whale on the beach surrounded by wildlife officials. There appears to be blood near its mouth.
The New York City Department of Parks and Recreation responded to the scene, along with the Atlantic Marine Conservation Society, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
The endangered female sperm whale, believed to be between 3 and 5 years old, was measured at approximately 32 feet long. A necropsy is scheduled for Wednesday to determine the whales cause of death.
According to the Atlantic Marine Conservation Society, this is the sixth large whale to strand in New York since Oct. 20.
