Overview
- Crews digging a 50-meter channel with large excavators on Thursday got the whale to shift about 20 to 40 meters, based on on-site reports.
- The operation stopped after dark for safety, and the mayor said work would resume Friday morning.
- Experts say the 12 to 15 meter, roughly 15-ton animal shows skin damage and weakness, so its chances of survival are low.
- Schleswig-Holstein’s minister-president pledged state boats to guide the whale toward deeper water if freed, while Sea Shepherd and Greenpeace joined support efforts.
- Specialists warn that the Baltic’s weak tides and narrow exits can confuse large whales and lead to re-stranding, so an escort will try to steer it toward the North Sea.