Experts monitoring whale stuck in harbor

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. (WHDH) -- Rescuers waited for the tide to shift Thursday night before trying to move a whale that got stuck in the harbor.

Marine experts said they have monitored the pilot whale from a boat, but haven’t been able to get to the animal to give it a health examination.

The whale has experts concerned because they are typically social animals, since the animal is alone it means it could be sick.

“We’re looking at an animal that is potentially thin,” said Brian Sharp, a marine mammal expert. “We’re also looking -- this may have been an animal sighted south of the Cape on Saturday that stranded and re-floated on the tide before we could…So we’re potentially looking at an animal that’s been on its own for at least six days. These are very social animals and not only for that social aspect, but they need that social aspect to be able to feed. They feed as a group.”

Marine experts hope they hope the whale can swim to open water or that they can reach the whale and give it a proper health examination.

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