WHALE RESCUE - This astonishing drone footage shows a 50-tonne sperm whale being escorted out to sea off the coast of Shetlandcloud_download<br />Published: 31/03/2022 4:01 p.m.<br /><br />SWSCwhale - by Sarah Ward<br /><br />This astonishing drone footage shows a 50-tonne sperm whale being escorted out to sea off the coast of Shetland.<br /><br />The whale, thought to be an adult male, measures around 45 feet and has no signs of injury.<br /><br />It is believed to have got lost and ended up in waters much shallower than the species usually is found in.<br /><br />It was around the coastline for 10 days and finally was maneuvered out with the help of several boats yesterday (Weds).<br /><br />Islanders flocked to nearby Weasdale to admire the enormous creature.<br /><br />Dad-of-three Gary Buchan, who filmed drone footage of it, said: "The whale has gone hopefully, never to be seen again.<br /><br />"It was moved on the 11th day.<br /><br />"They do travel up the east and west coast of Scotland.<br /><br />"People in the know think this is a male because females don't tend to travel so far north.<br /><br />"There weren't any significant signs of injury.<br /><br />"The first couple of days was touch and go.<br /><br />"It was in relatively shallow water - 8m of water, when they are usually found in 800m to 100m of water.<br /><br />"It was a bit of a shock.<br /><br />"The boats maneuvered around it, then just left it.<br /><br />"They took it about three or four miles out to sea, into around 40m of water.<br /><br />"One of the people on the boats said they saw it making a big dive, and it was never seen again.<br /><br />"It was ten minutes from where I live."<br /><br />Aquaculture technician Gary added: "I would say about 40 or 50 people a day came to see it.<br /><br />"People were coming from all over Shetland.<br /><br />"People from all over the world have been following it on social media."<br /><br />ENDS
