A humpback whale swam to the Baltic coast of Germany and got stranded. They tried to rescue it for a week, but couldn't
A tragic story of a humpback whale that could not be saved is nearing its end in the Baltic Sea off the coast of Germany. The animal got stranded near Ninndorf beach, not far from the city of Lübeck. Due to the ebb tide, the whale was effectively cut off from deep water, and attempts to open a path for it proved futile.
Photo: STR / East News
German services tried to help the animal: they used heavy machinery to deepen the seabed and allow the whale to swim out. This even succeeded several times, but the whale repeatedly returned to the shallow water.
An additional problem was that the Baltic Sea is significantly less salty than the ocean, and such water harms the whale's body, weakening it and causing skin damage.
Ultimately, specialists decided to stop the operation because the animal's condition had severely deteriorated. Its breathing became irregular, and its reaction to people almost disappeared. Experts recognized that there was virtually no chance of rescue, and further attempts would only increase the whale's suffering.
A protected zone is planned around the whale's location to avoid disturbing it. At the same time, authorities rejected the idea of forced euthanasia, as it is dangerous and difficult under such conditions.
Specialists note that the exact reason why the whale ended up in the Baltic Sea is unknown. But it is known that this is not a natural habitat for such animals: the sea is too shallow and not salty enough.
In addition, it turned out that the whale was already weakened before this — it had become entangled in fishing nets. Remnants of them were found in its mouth, which could have prevented it from feeding. This further reduced the animal's chances of survival.