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A humpback whale stranded in shallow waters off the northern coast of Germany has been freed by rescuers.
The whale had been stranded for several days on Timmendorfer Strand, a popular resort town on the Baltic Sea coastline, and several rescue efforts were underway amid fears the marine mammal would die.
Dr Stephanie Gross, from the Institute of Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research, told Sky News: “The whale is out of the bay and is currently allowing boats to follow it closely.
The hope is that we can accompany him to Denmark. We are also clarifying, if it goes that far, to what extent our Danish colleagues can take over from us there.
The 39- to 49-foot-long whale was spotted Monday, but initial attempts to free it were unsuccessful.
Experts gathered Tuesday morning on the beach to find a way to get the whale off land, German news agency dpa reported.
Sven Biertumpfel, from marine conservation group Sea Shepherd, said the Baltic Sea was not the humpback whale’s natural habitat, adding “perhaps it was following fish or food”.
The whale, which weighed several tons, was entangled in the net, the conservation expert said.
Rescuers initially managed to turn the whale so that its head was facing deeper water. However, the animal then returned to its original position.
photo: dpa/AP
Boats from the coast guard and fire brigade created huge waves in the hope of freeing the animal – but the vessel remained trapped, German public broadcaster NDR reported.
The whale could not be pulled back into deeper waters because it could have suffered serious injuries, experts said.
Attempts on Thursday to dig a channel with heavy equipment were ultimately successful, and the whale was able to swim out to sea overnight.
The process is slow, the rescue team is trying to get the animal used to the noise of the machine so as not to disturb it.
photo: dpa/AP
On Thursday evening, the whale, which was approaching its normal state, began to walk slowly through the channel.
The rescue team tried to encourage it to continue walking with a lot of noise, and the animal reportedly responded with a buzzing sound.
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Early Friday morning, the whale was on its way out of Lubeck Bay, a researcher said.
Dr Gross, who has been at the site since Monday, said the mammal was accompanied by a coast guard vessel and several other vessels.
The whale must now take a complicated route through the Danish islands and out into the North Sea, before finally passing through the Atlantic Ocean.
