A large whale is expected to die after being out of the water for too long.
Tonight, a vet was due to give the huge mammal, reckoned to be around 12 metres long, a sedative to calm it down and let it die naturally in the place it stranded on Geirinish beach in South Uist.
Volunteers had previously hoped to refloat it on the 1am high tide. For hours they poured water over the whale in efforts to keep it alive and prevent it from drying out.
It is thought it was discovered by a worker undertaking a beach sweep for the adjacent Qinetiq Rocket Range on the west coast of South Uist around lunchtime.
Other employees at the weapons base were drafted in to help including Philip Hall Davis.
Mr Davis said: “A good two thirds of the whale -
“It was a bit lively earlier in the day. We were covering it with water and keeping the sand away from its mouth.
“The vet said it was out of the water too long for the size of it. There was no chance of getting it back to sea.”
Volunteers believe it to be a sei or minke whale, Sei whales are a threatened species. Under 80,000 individuals are believed to exist.
Though it grows to a large size it can swim at a rate of nearly 30 mph through the water. It feeds on plankton and small fish near the water surface.
It prefers deep open sea and around this time of year would migrate south towards warmer waters.
Stranded whale to die on Uist beach 4/10/11