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Operation underway to rescue beached whale

01/08/2008

A rescue operation is underway in Hampshire to save a whale which beached itself on a sandbank.

The whale, measuring eight metres in length, became stranded in Chichester harbour on Thursday night.

Rescuers were forced to stop their attempts to free the young adult last night when it became dark and the whale later beached its self in the harbour during low tide.

The whale, a Northern Bottlenose, is a staggering 3,000 miles off course.

Rescuers have urged the public to stay away from the scene and claim they are trying to coax the animal back into the Solent.

The whale is now back in open water but is repeatedly swimming in circles.

Experts have said it now has a 40 per cent change of survival and blood tests show the whale is suffering from renal failure.