Mateo Niclas was kayaking off the coast of Alaska when he spotted a beluga whale mired in the mud. He called over his buddies, eight men in all, to see what they could do. First, they provided buckets of water to keep its skin moist. It was big for a beluga- they estimated that the whale was about 3,500 pounds. That's way more than a kayak could pull. But there were eight guys and a rope, and the mud was just slick enough to allow them to pull together and free the whale. That beluga is going to have a real story to tell his beluga buddies, although they will not believe him.
A situation like this could be dangerous for amateur rescuers. GoPro recommends that if you see a stranded marine animal, call the professionals. NOAA Fisheries has a website that lists the closest organization staffed with experienced rescuers who will come to help. -via Born in Space