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Pictures show the whale lying sideways in shallow water
Photo: dpa
A sperm whale has stranded off the Gulf Coast of the US state of Florida.
Experts called in assume that the animal cannot be saved, as the responsible police authority in the popular tourist resort of Venice announced on Facebook on Sunday evening.
Attempting to administer a tranquilizer to the whale from a boat was deemed too dangerous due to the conditions on the water.
Another rescue attempt is to be made on Monday, but time is against the rescue workers.
A stranded whale will be crushed by its own body weight if it does not return to deeper water in time.
Overheating is also a danger, as it is significantly warmer on the surface than underwater.
According to the police, the marine mammal weighs around 30 tons and is around 15 meters long - it was initially estimated to be slightly larger at around 20 meters long.
On Sunday morning, the animal appeared a little further from the coast, as the local newspaper "Herald-Tribune" reported.
It then moved further and further towards the beach, ultimately the distance was around 45 meters.
Police videos showed waves crashing over the whale as it repeatedly raised its fins in the shallow water.
The authorities asked people to avoid the area in several messages on Facebook and cordoned off a large area.
Nevertheless, a crowd gathered on the beach, as seen in photos.
The police announced that emergency services would be stationed on the beach overnight.
Sperm whales live in all of the world's oceans.
According to the environmental and animal welfare organization WWF, they can dive up to 2,000 meters deep in search of food.
Large bulls can reach a length of more than 20 meters and a weight of around 50 tons.
zob/dpa