Minke whale saved after becoming stranded on Urangan beach

Hundreds of people have converged on a Queensland beach as part of a desperate effort to rescue a whale which became stranded in the early hours of the morning. Watch the video, see the photos.

A dwarf minke whale has been successfully refloated from a Hervey Bay beach after becoming stranded in the early hours of Friday morning.

Rangers, whale boat operators and the Fraser Coast Mayor George Seymour were at the scene on the Urangan beach along with a crowd of about 200, keeping the whale wet and as calm as possible while waiting for the incoming tide in an effort to get it back out to sea.

Two initial attempts were unsuccessful, with the crowd around the whale cheering as it swam off during the first attempt to refloat it, only the have the male whale strand itself again about 50m down the beach.

Another attempt was made to refloat it with a harness before the rangers, mayor and other rescue volunteers surrounded the whale and helped take it back into deeper waters.

“We’re hopeful he’ll stay out there, he’s now a couple of hundred metres off shore.

“He turned back a few times.”

Mr Seymour said he held concerns about the whale’s level of alertness, although he said the whale had shown some energy while attempting to head back out to sea.

“He’s out there and he’s certainly got muscle strength, he was thrashing about and he was breathing well.

“We’re just concerned about what caused him to beach himself here and then return.

“We still have concerns for him but we’re happier now.”

Mr Seymour said he was glad surf life savers were out there between the whale and the beach, trying to move him into deeper waters.

He said it had been special to be out there helping.

“They’re majestic animals,” he said.

Dozens of people have been working to save the dwarf minke whale since it was discovered.

Ranger Daniel Clifton said the whale had some superficial injuries, including to its nose and parts of its body where sand had grazed its skin.

He said it was great to see so many people offering their assistance

It is not the first time whales have become stranded on Fraser Coast beaches.

Two attempts to refloat the animal have so far been unsuccessful.

Several killer whales were washed ashore at the Great Sandy Strait in 2013.