In brief
A humpback whale that became stranded on a sandbank off the German coast has successfully freed itself following various rescue attempts. After careful monitoring and assistance from local marine biologists and rescue teams, the whale began swimming back towards deeper waters, surrounded by boats to ensure its safe return to the Baltic Sea.
A humpback whale has freed itself from a sandbank near the German coastal city of Lübeck, after a series of rescue attempts. Rescue teams now hope the whale will swim out of the shallow waters of Lübeck Bay and into the wider sea.
Reports at first light confirmed that the whale had swum off the sandbank, as Stephanie Gross from the Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research reported interactions with a colleague in an inflatable boat alongside the mammal. The whale, measuring between 10 to 12 meters (32-40 feet), was first spotted stranded near the resort town of Timmendorfer Strand last Monday.
After several unsuccessful attempts to coax the whale into deeper waters throughout the week, two diggers were finally deployed on Thursday to dredge a channel for the whale. Biologist Robert Marc Lehmann remarked on the ongoing danger, explaining that the whale would need to stay in open water before safely reaching the Baltic Sea.
By Friday morning, Gross indicated that the whale was being escorted by boats approximately 300 meters off the coast, raising hopes for its continued journey back home to the sea.
