A 5-metre-long baby whale trapped in shallow waters on Friday on Karavovrysi beach, Phaestos, south Heraklion, Crete, was rescued by the local coastguard.
The small whale was injured in its tail and its side.
Members of the local coastguard along with volunteers managed to rescue it and eventually steer it back to high waters.
The whale was not identified in the local media but it was probably a sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) a species of mammal found in the in the very deep waters south of Crete.
Sperm whales have teeth like dolphins and they feed on squid. Male sperm whales can reach a length of 18m and a weight of 57 tonnes.
South Crete is one of the places where sperm whales are believed to reproduce.
Sperm whales are considered endangered in the Mediterranean Sea.
