ST. JOHN'S, N.L. - A full-grown pothead whale that managed to get itself stranded on a beach at the mouth of Newfoundland's Gambo River has made its way back to deeper waters.
Members of the Gambo volunteer fire department, the ambulance service and the Bonavista North search and rescue team managed to free the whale on Monday.
Whale expert Wayne Ledwell says the rescue effort went smoothly, even though it took two attempts for rescuers to get the whale out into deeper water.
Ledwell isn't sure why the whale made the trip up the river but suggests there are plenty of possible explanations.
He says the pothead is a deep water animal that searches for food offshore and may have become sick or was chased ashore by predators, such as a killer whale.
He says the whale may also have been confused after chasing bait, causing it to swim up the river.
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