Despite efforts to rescue it, the marine mammal passed away

Dec 28, 2012 13:51 GMT  ·  By

Only yesterday, the news broke that a fin whale had beached in Breezy Point, Queens, NY.

Despite efforts to save it and return it to the wild, the marine mammal sadly passed away.

Those who tried to help it explain that the animal was simply too sick and too malnourished to survive in the wild, even if they somehow managed to return it to the water. Salon reports that Mendy Garron, a rescue coordinator presently working with the National Marine Fisheries Service, also wished to draw attention to the fact that the whale's fate was sealed the moment it beached on the shore of New York.

As he explained, “When large whales strand, it’s very difficult. The minute they get on the beach they’re being compromised because their internal organs are being crushed by their weight.”

For the time being, authorities are trying to decide how to best dispose of the body.