Rescuers say a humpback whale that had been stuck on a sandbank off Timmendorfer Strand on Germany’s Baltic coast has returned to deeper water after several days of efforts to free it. The animal, estimated at 12–15 metres (39–49 feet) and likely a young male, was first seen on Monday. Early attempts to move it were unsuccessful.
By Thursday, teams deployed heavy machinery to dig a careful channel toward the sea, working slowly to avoid alarming the whale. As rescuers encouraged it, the animal began making low humming noises and showed signs of responding. Marine biologist Robert Marc Lehmann reported that the humpback appeared to regain strength overnight and ultimately freed itself.
Overnight and into Friday the whale used the dug passage to reach deeper water and was later sighted swimming in the Bay of Lübeck. Accompanied by police, coastguard units, volunteer crews and research vessels, the animal is now making the long, complex journey past the Danish islands, through the North Sea and toward the Atlantic. Diggers and a large team of rescuers and animal specialists had coordinated the operation with the aim of guiding the whale back to open waters while minimizing additional stress.
Edited by: Dmytro Hubenko