Young Humpback Whale Stranded on Beach After Getting Caught in Fishing Lines as Crowds Battle Surf to Help (Exclusive)

YOU NEED TO KNOW

• TikTok creator Jacob Colvin filmed dozens of people trying to turn a whale’s tail to catch the rising tide

• Marine biologist Carrie Newell warns touching a whale is dangerous, illegal and could lead to serious injury as waves push the 25-30 tonne animal inland

• Experts from many organizations are on site using ropes and pulleys in the hope of a tidal miracle

A dramatic rescue attempt on the Oregon Coast is drawing national attention in the wake of TikTok creator Jacob Colvin (as he is known online). @Jake.pnw – captured the frantic effort to save a stranded humpback whale struggling to survive in the freezing surf.

His videoColvin shows a dozen spectators bracing themselves against the powerful waves, grasping ropes and pushing the massive animal in hopes of turning its tail into the rising tide. At one point, Colvin warns viewers that “if it gets picked up by a wave and falls on someone, that’ll be 80,000 pounds” as the exhausted whale fights against the current.

Colvin told PEOPLE exclusively that she rushed to the scene after receiving a call from a “close friend” who said a live humpback was stranded and “screaming for help” on the beach. He immediately drove for an hour to reach the site around 9pm on the evening of November 15.

“When I arrived at the scene there were about 20 people with the whale,” he says. “There was a rope tied to the whale’s tail and there was a group of people pulling the rope, while a group of people were pushing the whale’s head. They were trying to turn the whale so that it was facing towards the ocean.”

But he adds that conditions are extremely dangerous. “This is during the ‘King Tide’ season,” Colvin explains. “This was when the water was at its coldest, hardest and most dangerous. Several people were falling into the current. I actually had to save a woman from being swept away twice. It was a miracle no one was injured.”

In the video, Colvin explains that the waves knocked the volunteers to their knees and the ropes slipped from their hands. He says the whale was “exhausted and frustrated” and that “the current was so strong” that even experienced beachgoers had difficulty staying upright.

Marine biologist Carrie Newell as images spread Whale Research Eco Trips He called on the public to stand back. In the statement published on the organization’s Facebook page, it was emphasized that the condition of the whale washed ashore was already critical and that approaching it was dangerous for both people and animals.

“Whales are designed to live in water,” Newell explained. “For this reason, a beached whale cannot be floated by the water, so its internal organs are compressed, which causes additional complications. This situation in itself can be life-threatening for the whale.” He added that the thick blubber that keeps humpback whales warm in the ocean could cause them to dangerously overheat on land.

Stranding Network member Newell stated that he was assigned to crowd control and training and emphasized that “human security is our first priority.” Although everyone hopes the whale will survive, he warns that the chances of such a large animal getting stuck in the surf are slim.

He also stated that towing an adult humpback whale was almost impossible, reminding that even towing a dead sperm whale once required operating the boat at full throttle. He says any action would need to be carefully weighed because this whale was “rolling in the surf line.”

Later that evening, Newell provided another update stating that the animal was likely a juvenile, 2 to 3 years old and weighing 25 to 30 tons. He reported seeing four people trying to push the whale and warned that they could easily be crushed when the waves pushed the animal towards shore.

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He also noted signs that the whale had become entangled in crab crab line, a recurring danger for migrating whales, and pushed for stronger laws on abandoned fishing gear.

Experts from many organizations have since arrived with ropes, pulleys and other equipment, even discussing digging trenches to help the whale. Newell shared that he was “hoping for a miracle for this beautiful animal.”

Colvin, who continued to document the situation, said the whale survived on the beach two days later. “Authorities have asked people not to intervene,” he told PEOPLE, explaining that they believe the whale is healthy enough to survive through natural “self-rescue” if the tide turns in its favor.

“I try to stay optimistic,” he says. “But it’s hard to watch authorities not do more. Oregon is a state that ‘lets nature take its course’ when it comes to whale strandings.” Still, the dozens of people who return each day to check on the whale are “all doing the same thing, hoping for the best,” he adds.

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