Whale stranded again off Germany's Baltic coast
AP News • • world
Key Points:
- A humpback whale repeatedly stranded off Germany’s Baltic Sea coast was stuck again Tuesday near Wismar, less than a day after freeing itself, but rescuers remain hopeful it can find its way to open sea.
- The 12-15 meter whale was accompanied by police and Greenpeace rubber boats but diverted into a shallow inlet where it became stranded again, though it remains in deep enough water to potentially swim away on its own.
- Earlier rescue efforts involved freeing the whale from a sandbank near Timmendorfer Strand using an excavator, but the exhausted animal has continued to struggle in the Baltic Sea’s shallow and low-salinity waters.
- Experts aim for the whale to leave Wismar Bay, pass through Danish waters into the North Sea, and eventually reach the Atlantic, its natural habitat, as the Baltic Sea’s conditions are unsuitable for such deep-diving animals.
- The whale’s health is compromised but shows potential to recover; it was first spotted on March 3, possibly lost during migration or while chasing prey, and no tracking device has been attached due to its fragile skin condition.
