Rescue teams and environmental groups have mounted a fresh operation after a humpback whale became stranded again in the Baltic Sea near Wismar, northeastern Germany. The 12–15 metre animal was first found aground near Timmendorf, where a floating excavator and rescuers dug a channel that allowed it to swim free, but it later reappeared stuck in Wismar Bay close to shore.
Experts from Greenpeace, the German Oceanographic Museum and the Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research have been preparing to approach the whale by inflatable boat to assess its condition and, if necessary, guide it back to deeper waters. Greenpeace marine biologist Thilo Maack said teams would intervene should the whale become stuck again, possibly using benign stimuli to encourage it into the nearby shipping channel.
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Environment Minister Till Backhaus has been involved in on-site assessments and ordered a 500-metre exclusion zone, with vessels being warned by radio to keep their distance. Researcher Burkard Baschek, after an on-site inspection, said the outlook was “not good,” noting the animal’s condition had “clearly deteriorated” since Saturday. Although the whale briefly freed itself overnight as water levels rose, it is now in water about two metres deep, is described as very weak with severely damaged skin, and is no longer making attempts to swim away. Officials say even if it manages to leave shallow water, there is a high risk it could strand again.
Authorities and experts have emphasized the priority of first evaluating the whale’s health before any intervention. They have also urged the public to avoid disturbing the animal and to respect the exclusion zone. Humpback whales are not native to the Baltic Sea; scientists say it may have entered the area while following prey or because of underwater disturbances. Rescue teams say rapid return to open ocean is the best chance for the whale’s survival, but its weakened state and repeated strandings make the outcome uncertain.