Whale stranded on Olympic National Park beach

SEATTLE – Olympic National Park officials say a juvenile gray whale is stranded on a beach in the park.

Officials with the park and NOAA Fisheries said Thursday the whale is believed to have become stranded in the Kalaloch area of the park on Tuesday.

Response teams providing supportive care report the whale is in poor condition and has tried so far unsuccessfully to return to the ocean at high tide.

The teams have sought to protect the whale from sunburn and scavengers and have tried to keep the whale as wet as possible.

Officials say the Western Pacific gray whale population numbers about 20,000.

Officials say 205 gray whales stranded on the West Coast from 2006 to 2016.