GLOUCESTER , MASS. (WHDH) - Several Gloucester residents came to the aid of a 15-foot minke whale that became trapped against a rock just feet from shore on Wednesday.
Lisa Carlson filmed the rescue from her front porch as the whale thrashed in an effort to free itself.
“I could hear him flopping, you know, the noise of his tail hitting the water,” Carlson said. “And I was like, ‘What is that?’ I couldn’t even believe there was a whale here. It was so cute.”
The Gloucester harbormaster says the whale was likely feeding on fish and got too close to the shore.
Neighbors formed a small crowd and watched in awe as some good Samaritans jumped into the water to rescue the whale as the tide was slipping away.
“The tide was going out, so we didn’t want to see something happen to him,” Carlson said.
Those Good Samaritans didn’t want to speak on camera, but told 7News the rescue lasted about 20 minutes.
They say they didn’t actually touch the whale, but rather moved the rock that it had become lodged against so the whale was able to move away from shore.
“I’d be surprised if someone didn’t do that,” Carlson said. “We love our wildlife here.”
Those here in Gloucester say they’re grateful for the happy ending, and a good story to go with it.
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