On his day off as co-captain of the Long Beach Township Beach Patrol in Loveladies, Nick Delfico simply stopped by to check out the waves. Instead, he found himself assisting with a stranded pygmy sperm whale on Seaview Avenue.

He noticed the beach patrol emergency lights flashing when he arrived after attending an Aug. 29 event for Alliance for a Living Ocean, of which he is executive director. The Marine Mammal Stranding Center was already aware of the stranded, nearly 11-foot-long whale.