SURFSIDE, Texas -- It was probably the last thing a group of beach-goers expected to see while enjoying the sun and sand. They actually came to the rescue of a whale in serious trouble.

The type of whale that was stranded had only been seen one other time in Texas in the last three decades. Six beach-goers pushed it back out to the Gulf, but animal experts said pushing him back out to sea wasn't the best thing to do for the whale.

"The main reason for that, in the best interest of the animal an examination and any required treatment needs to take place," said Heidi Whitehead, from Marine Mammal Stranding Network. "Those animals are typically on the beach for a reason."

And coastal areas are actually in stranding season right now. It runs from January through March, with an average 75 to 100 animals found along the Texas coast.