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Beached whale swims free in waves Whale is beached for second time
(about 2 hours later)
A young whale which had become stranded on a north Wales beach has managed to free itself. A young whale which swam back to sea after several hours stranded on a north Wales beach has become beached again.
A rising tide enabled the three metre minke whale to swim away just before 2000 GMT on Tuesday. The mammal, thought to be a minke whale, had first become stranded between Criccieth and Pwllheli on Tuesday afternoon.
The animal had been stranded on a beach Between Criccieth and Pwllheli in Gwynedd for two and a half hours. After more than two hours and a major rescue effort the three metre long animal swam out on the high tide.
Coastguards sent a team to find the animal after receiving a report at around 1740 that the animal had been stranded on the coast at Afon Wen. But Tony Woodley from the charity British Dive Marine Life Rescue said it had again been washed up on the beach.
Onlookers suggested the animal could be a youngster separated from its mother. Coastguards also said the animal had become wedged on the beach.
An RSPCA officer was on the way to the scene before the whale which was lying half in water on the beach managed to swim away on the waves. Mr Woodley said several of the charity's volunteers has remained on the beach when the animal first managed to free itself, and it had now returned.
It is unknown why or how the whale became beached or if it was ill.. Deteriorate quickly
The RSPCA and British Dive Marine Life Rescue - the organisation which assisted the whale that swam up the River Thames last year - were expected to examine the animal at the beach.. He said the chances of the whale's survival, which he suggested could be as young as a year old, were now "extremely slim".
The mammal was first spotted around 1500 GMT high up on the beach and having been out of the water for several hours would have suffered serious and internal damage, said Mr Woodley.
"We have found out a lot since the Thames whale and that fact they deteriorate very quickly when they are not supported by water."
He said RSPCA officers were also at the scene and the situation was likely to develop during the night.
The animal had probably become separated from its mother and become disorientated and hungry before landing up on the beach, he said.
Earlier, coastguards sent a team to find the animal after receiving a report at around 1740 GMT that the animal had been stranded on the coast at Afon Wen.
'Myfanwy'
Coastguards had helped to keep the whale upright in the water.Coastguards had helped to keep the whale upright in the water.
"The people on the scene managed to get it to turn around and it swam off,"a spokesman said. "The people on the scene managed to get it to turn around and it swam off," a spokesman said.
"After it went, the lifeboat did a sweep of the area to check it had notdoubled back and there were no sightings. " "After it went, the lifeboat did a sweep of the area to check it had not doubled back and there were no sightings. "
Holyhead coastguard said the whale had already been nicknamed "Myfanwy".Holyhead coastguard said the whale had already been nicknamed "Myfanwy".