A white beluga has been observed in the narrow waters of the Flensburg Firth, the channel separating Germany and Denmark near the city of Flensburg. Local paper Nordschleswiger reports the animal was first sighted near Arosund last month and has since moved south past the island of Als into the firth (Flensburger Förde in German, Flensborg Fjord in Danish).
Belugas are highly social whales that often travel in groups and communicate with whistles, chirps and clicks—traits that have earned them the nickname “canaries of the sea.” They feed on herring, salmon, squid and crustaceans, can reach about six metres in length and weigh over a tonne.
Normally resident in sub‑Arctic waters around Greenland and Norway, belugas do turn up farther south from time to time. Southern Denmark has recorded beluga appearances before, including in 1903, 1964, the 1980s and 2012. Danish whale researcher Carl Christian Kinze noted belugas’ preference for coastal areas and said this individual will most likely find its own way back to more open waters.
By contrast, the recently publicised humpback known as “Timmy” has repeatedly stranded and refloated off Germany’s northeastern coast over the past month. After attracting national attention, authorities have decided to stop interventions and allow Timmy to die undisturbed if it strands again.