Rescuers in Germany are in a desperate race against time to save a humpback whale stranded in shallow waters off the coast of Timmendorfer Strand in Lübeck Bay. The 33-foot young male, weighing up to 15 tons, has been stuck since Monday, and experts warn its chances of survival are slim due to exhaustion and environmental factors.
Efforts to dig a channel to deeper water using excavators have failed because the sand is too compacted. Low tides and stormy weather have further hampered rescue operations. Divers have assessed the whale, which is responsive but visibly distressed, with poor skin condition due to the low salinity of the Baltic Sea, increasing the risk of fatal infection.
Sven Biertumpfel of Sea Shepherd told Sky News that if the whale cannot be moved, it will likely die, noting that suffocation can take up to a week or longer. The whale was previously entangled in a fishing net, with rope still stuck in its mouth. Marine biologist Robert Marc Lehmann described the animal as scared but vocalising, with both eyes open.
Boats from the coastguard and fire department have created waves to try to free the whale, but without success. Rescuers are reluctant to pull it out for fear of injury. A larger excavator has been brought in to deepen the channel, and the rescue is being livestreamed. Scientists remain uncertain why whales strand, but climate change and shifting prey availability are suspected factors.
