The humpback whale that has been observed off the Baltic Sea coast is stuck again in a bay. Authorities report that the whale is now in the bay of Kirchdorf near the island of Poel. Mecklenburg‑Vorpommern’s environment minister, Till Backhaus (SPD), announced the development on Tuesday.
The water depth where the whale is found appears sufficient for the animal to escape on its own, so it is possible to repeat the rescue maneuver that was carried out on Monday evening. According to the German Maritime Museum Foundation, the whale had previously managed to free itself from the shallow waters of Wismar Bay by using its own strength and then moved toward deeper areas. However, it did not take the required path toward the open Baltic Sea, from which it would need to head into the North Sea and then the Atlantic.
The whale was first sighted in the harbor of Wismar on March 3. Over the following days it repeatedly became stuck in Wismar Bay, and its condition has reportedly worsened. The prospects of a successful return from the Baltic to the open Atlantic are considered very low.
