Death of a gentle giant: Heartbreaking moment beached humpback whale appears to weep as it loses its battle to stay alive on a Brazilian beach<br /><br />This is the heartbreaking moment a beached humpback whale appears to weep as it draws its final breaths after being stranded on a beach in Brazil<br /><br />Footage taken by amazed onlookers shows how tears seemingly stream down the gentle giant's face as if it knows it is close to death.<br /><br />Tragically, marine experts reported on July 17 that the trapped whale had died, despite desperate attempts to save it.<br /><br />The animals can only survive for a few hours out of the water, and the beached whale was seen blinking continuously as it met a devastating end.<br /><br /> It was returned to the sea a second time with the help of volunteers and a tugboat, only to wash up yet again at a nearby spot the next morning.<br /><br />The Humpback Whale Project team had told local media it was considering euthanizing the animal, but it is not clear how it met its end.<br /><br />Scientists have officially rejected the claim that the whale had been crying.<br /><br />They say the reason for the tears was a release of oil to lubricate the whale's eyes while out of water<br /><br />While whales do not cry in the sense humans would, witnesses to whale stranding worldwide have reported the animals' sheer emotion as the beach.<br /><br />humpback whale appears to weep as it loses its battle to stay alive on a Brazilian beach
