British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) said there was no hope of refloating the animal Around 300 people gathered at the scene yesterday as a team of people tried to get the whale back into the sea. The coastguard and police cordoned off the beach to prevent further distress to the whale. Inspector Dave Meredith, of Devon and Cornwall Police, tweeted last night: 'The stranded whale has now passed away. Due to its injuries and poor condition there was no hope of rescue. A very sad incident for us all.' Fin whales are the world's second largest animal after the Blue Whale and are listed as a globally-endangered species. They can grow to up to 85ft and weigh in at 80 tonnes, and eat food consisting of small schooling fish, squid, and crustaceans including shrimps and krill. Fin whales are most common in the southern hemisphere but smaller populations have been known to inhabit the North Atlantic. In Ireland, a 12 metre fin whale is stuck against a pier wall in west Cork. A 40ft fin whale is stuck against a wall in west Cork in Ireland. Experts fear it may not survive after attempts to herd the creature back out to sea failed The creature came in to the harbour in Baltimore on a low time and initially moved 300-400metres offshore before coming back into the port. The Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG) said from the description it is a young fin whale and maybe sick or starving.