Rescuers are continuing to try and save a stranded humpback whale off Germany's north coast. The marine mammal, which is stuck on a sandbank, was first spotted in Lübeck Bay on Monday.
Diggers have been deployed to dredge a channel back into deeper waters. Characterised as a race against time, the rescue mission's attracting huge interest. It's even being livestreamed from Timmendorfer Strand, a seaside town in Schleswig-Holstein.
Estimated at being 12 to 15 metres long and 15 tons in weight, it's thought the whale could have previously become entangled in a fishing net, as rope is said to still be stuck in its mouth. Experts believe it’s a young male that may have accidentally wandered into shallow waters, and while warnings indicate there are slim chances of saving him, rescuers are diligently pursuing their efforts.
Stephanie Gross from the Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research stated, For the whale, this is obviously a stressful situation. He's been here in the shallow water for three days now and isn't feeding at all at the moment. German media reports describe the conditions at the seaside as difficult, with an icy easterly wind hampering rescue efforts.
Divers have been in the water to assess the situation closely. Marine biologist Robert Marc Lehmann noted that the whale is responsive but appears uncertain and scared. Other measures, such as leveraging high tide to move the whale or creating waves with boats, have unfortunately failed thus far.
Lehmann expressed hope that the dredged channel will encourage the whale to swim into deeper waters, remarking, If not, then he'll have to be given a little nudge. As the rescue effort continues, the fate of the whale hangs in the balance amidst a challenging series of events.
