Rangers aim to free whale stuck in lagoon

Wildlife rangers are monitoring a whale stranded in a reef lagoon off Cairns and are planning another attempt to herd it to safety.

The rangers have been trying to guide the whale to open water during the past two days and will try again on Thursday night, unless it finds its own way to open water.

It's believed the whale, which has been stranded for at least three weeks, could be an Antarctic minke, rarely spotted on the Great Barrier Reef.