Rescue groups and environmental organisations have launched a renewed effort after a humpback whale became stranded again in the Baltic Sea off Wismar in northeastern Germany. The 12–15 metre animal was originally found aground near Timmendorf, where rescuers and a floating excavator dug a channel that allowed it to swim free, but it later reappeared stuck close to shore in Wismar Bay.
Experts from Greenpeace, the German Oceanographic Museum and the Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research prepared to approach the whale in an inflatable boat to assess its condition and, if needed, guide it back to deeper water. Greenpeace marine biologist Thilo Maack said teams would step in if the whale became entangled or stuck again and might use gentle, non-harmful stimuli to encourage it toward the nearby shipping channel.
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania’s Environment Minister Till Backhaus has taken part in on-site inspections and ordered a 500-metre exclusion zone; vessels are being warned by radio to stay clear. Researcher Burkard Baschek, after viewing the animal, said the outlook was “not good,” noting its condition had clearly worsened since Saturday. Although rising water briefly freed the whale overnight, it is now in roughly two metres of water, is described as very weak with severely damaged skin, and is no longer attempting to swim away. Officials warn that even if it reaches deeper water there is a high risk it could strand again.
Authorities and specialists stress that assessing the whale’s health must come before any active rescue and have urged the public to avoid disturbing the animal and to respect the exclusion zone. Humpback whales are unusual visitors to the Baltic; scientists say this individual may have entered the area while following prey or responding to underwater disturbances. Rescue teams say a rapid return to open ocean gives the animal the best chance of survival, but its weakened state and repeated strandings make the outcome uncertain.