BUENOS AIRES, Aug. 5 (UPI) -- A disoriented whale found itself in a La Plata River port in Buenos Aires, Argentina, to the delight of spectators as authorities attempted to lead the lost animal back to the Atlantic Ocean.
The 19-foot whale, reportedly a humpback, is approximately 1-year-old and was recently weaned. The baby whale may have reached the river waters near the Puerto Madero upscale neighborhood because of illness or by mistakenly following a current.
In the region, the humpback whale species usually spends the summer months near the cold waters of the South Pole and the winter months near Brazil's northern waters.
Authorities described the whale healthy, but slightly malnourished, as it is difficult for aquatic animals to find food in the polluted river. On Tuesday, two ships from Argentina's Naval Prefecture attempted to guide the whale away from the port and back into the river, which flows into the Atlantic.
Officials from Argentina's Secretariat of Environment and Sustainable Development also participated in rescue efforts.
