A fin whale has been seen heading back out to sea after becoming stranded on a beach along the Flintshire coastline.
The huge marine mammal, which is the second largest animal after the blue whale, was found live stranded in the Dee Estuary on Friday morning.
Local fishermen and marine life rescue medics scrambled to aid the animal, but the whale eventually refloated just after 1.30pm following high tide.
Despite initial concerns the animal was unlikely to survive in the wild alone, as it was presumed to be a calf still dependent on its mother, experts now believe the whale is likely to be weaned and independent, NorthWalesLive reports.
A spokesman for the British Divers Marine Life Rescue said: "The whale has now floated on the incoming tide and is beginning to swim for itself.
"Our team have managed to measure it more accurately at around 13.5m long, which is very close to the size that they are weaned and independent of their mother, so there may be some hope for this animal to survive by itself if it can find its way back out of the estuary.
"It is also in moderate body condition, which is helpful to its prognosis too.
"Our team will continue to monitor from land and from a safe distance by boat so as not to cause any stress to the animal that might cause it to restrand.
"The tide is still coming in for at least another couple of hours and this will give it more space to move around in and hopefully locate the open sea."
At one stage while the tide was out, the whale was fully beached on the sand, and while the mammal was not able to support its own weight according to marine life experts, there had been concerns its blood circulation could become cut off and some of its internal organs could suffer damage.
Fin whales, also known as "razorbacks" have long, slender bodies with a distinct ridge running behind the dorsal fin.
Generally found alone or in pairs, they are mostly solitary and are rarely found in groups. However, calves usually stay with their mothers until they are around a year old.
They can be found all over the world's oceans, but mostly live in deep, cooler water. They can reach 70ft in size.
Earlier on Friday, the British Divers Marine Life Rescue said there had been no reported sightings of any other animals locally.
They had said due to the size and weight of the animal, it was not possible to move it, and if it survived long enough it would refloat by itself as the tide returned.
Natural Resources Wales has asked people not to approach the whale if it strands again.
It warns that people approaching the mammal could hamper efforts of partners to manage the situation and is asking people to avoid the area.
Any further sightings of the whale should be reported to the Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme on 0800 652 0333.
Ceri Morris, marine mammal specialist advisor services manager for Natural Resources Wales, said: "We have been responding to an ongoing incident involving a fin whale that was initially found stranded alive on tidal mudflats on the River Dee.
"The whale has since refloated on the rising tide and was seen swimming out to sea. We are continuing to work with the Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme, Defra, British Divers Marine Life Rescue, and the Maritime Coastguard Agency to monitor the situation.
"Should the whale strand again, we ask the public not to approach it and to avoid the area as this could hamper efforts of partners to manage the situation."
