The humpback whale, which has been traveling in the Baltic Sea for weeks, has stranded again off the German coast. Helpers hope that it will find its way back to the North Sea.
A humpback whale continues to attract attention off the German Baltic Sea coast. The animal temporarily disappeared, but was spotted again on Tuesday morning. It initially swam freely, but then Environment Minister Till Backhaus (SPD) and Greenpeace announced that the marine mammal, now called “Timmy,” was stuck again. However, he is lying in such a way that he can free himself – if he wants to.
Greenpeace marine biologist Thilo Maack reported that the animal was stuck in the Kirchsee, part of the Wismar Bay. “Unfortunately the whale did what it wanted and swam into the bay,” said Maack. Backhaus also regretted that the whale did not stick to the route. “I sincerely hope that we can find a happy ending.” The hope is that the humpback whale will move into deeper Baltic Sea water and then head north. The environmental organization Greenpeace used a rubber dinghy in the Bay of Wismar to prevent what ultimately happened: the whale from getting stuck there.
The twelve to 15 meter long marine mammal had been lying in shallow water in the bay off Wismar since at least Saturday. On Monday evening it moved as the water level continued to rise and then submerged.
The humpback whale was initially stranded on a sandbank in Schleswig-Holstein off Timmendorfer Strand on the night of March 23rd. The animal later managed to leave the shallow water after helpers dug a channel.
According to the Ministry of the Environment, the whale had been traveling in the coastal area of the Baltic Sea since March 3rd. According to the marine conservation organization Sea Shepherd, he became entangled in a gillnet. Part of the web is still in its mouth. The animal also has skin infections due to the relatively low salt water content of the Baltic Sea. For this reason, according to the German Maritime Museum, no tracking device could be attached. “The animal’s health remains critical,” said the Maritime Museum in Stralsund. (APA/dpa)
