<p><br /> A 25-tonne humpback whale beached near Rio de Janeiro has died after several failed rescue attempts.<br /> </p><p><br /> Rescue teams hoped a high tide would help them free the animal, which became stranded at the popular Brazilian tourist resort of Geriba.<br /> </p><p><br /> But shallow waters hampered their efforts, and after two days of unsuccessful attempts to tug the 12m long animal from the sand, the whale died just after midnight on Wednesday.<br /> </p><p><br /> Biologists said the whale was probably heading to Antarctic waters after traveling to warmer Brazilian waters to mate.<br /> </p><p><br /> This was the 90th whale to wash ashore on Brazil's southern coast this year - an unusually high number that is puzzling marine biologists.<br /> </p>
