After days of anxiety and rescue attempts, the humpback whale stranded in the Baltic Sea has finally been freed. The animal, about 15 meters long, had been stranded for the second time in a week on the northern coast of Germany, between Timmendorfer Strand and Wismar, and its health conditions were worrying.
Decisive hours between hope and worry
The director of the German Marine Museum, Burkard Baschek, had defined the last hours as crucial: the whale appeared very weakened, with a slowed breathing rate and signs of skin infections. The experts had decided not to touch her, limiting themselves to encouraging her to move by tapping the paddles on the water. The objective was to give the animal the time necessary to free itself, waiting for the water level to rise by about 30 cm expected in the afternoon.
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Rescue attempts and hidden dangers
The humpback whale was initially stranded near Timmendorfer Strand and, after days of efforts, was freed on Friday. However, the next day it had beached again off Wismar, where it lay in shallow water, at around two metres. The experts also had to manage the presence of pieces of fishing net in the whale’s mouth, cutting only those that were accessible without risking further damage. According to Thilo Maack, a marine biologist at Greenpeace Germany, the animal was in water deep enough to theoretically free itself, but showed no movement. For this reason it was decided to create a 500 meter exclusion zone around the whale in order to reduce stress and promote its recovery.
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The big step towards freedom
As mentioned, in the last few hours, thanks to the high tide, the whale finally freed itself and started swimming again. The direction of his travel still remains uncertain and his health continues to be precarious, but the relief among experts is palpable. The case of the humpback whale in the Baltic Sea is a rare example of a stranding in these waters. Now it will be monitored closely, hoping that it will be able to reach deeper waters and resume its natural path.
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