The scene at the beach around 11 a.m. Images: Andrew Goff.

UPDATE, 11:30 a.m. The tide has turned, and the whale is still on the beach. Now it is attended not only by marine mammal rescuers and well-wishers, but around eight sheriff’s deputies and game wardens.

Dawn Goley of Humboldt State is still the point person on the scene, and she is spending a good deal of time talking to people at the beach who have shown up to offer help, some of whom are frustrated that more action is not being taken.

Goley says she is happy to engage with people who wonder why more isn’t being done to save the whale.

“I totally get where they’re coming from,” she said, but at this point with the resources available there just isn’t a safe way to get the whale off the beach.

Goley continues to contact marine mammal experts through the state to keep them apprised of the condition of the whale in case a solution can be found. The vast majority of times a whale beaches itself it ends in the animal’s death.

The deputies are there to make sure everyone at the beach is safe, Goley said.

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At 7 a.m., the whale was still able to flap its flippers. Images: Andrew Goff.

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The humpback whale that has been beached at Samoa since yesterday morning is still there, and still alive. 

Dawn Goley, Humboldt State Stranding Coordinator for the Marine Mammal Network, was again at the site early this morning, and she told the Outpost that the whale appears very tired.

The whale became stranded on the beach after becoming entangled in fishing gear yesterday. Rescuers have since cleared away the cordage that snared the animal and had hoped that the high tide just after 8 p.m. yesterday might be enough to buoy it out to sea. But it was not.

Goley has been in contact with whale experts from around the world this morning but says she is not optimistic the whale will head back out to sea after being on the beach this long. Its organs have almost certainly been damaged.

“Now we wait,” Goley said.

There is another high tide at 10 a.m.