Overview
- The humpback, still in the Wismar Bay on Monday, showed little movement, breathed only every four to five minutes, and barely reacted when teams tapped the water with paddles.
- A 500‑meter no‑boat zone and a round‑the‑clock watch are in place to reduce stress, with experts mounting gentle stimulation attempts during the rising tide on Monday afternoon and evening.
- Officials say euthanasia is not an option because there is no reliable, quick, and painless method for a whale this size, so agencies are preparing for a potential carcass recovery if it dies.
- Rescuers report net fragments remain in the whale’s mouth, which complicates feeding and disentanglement, and they could not attach a tracker due to damaged skin.
- The same whale was freed late last week after a dredged channel off Timmendorfer Strand, and experts note humpbacks are rare in the Baltic and may enter while following fish into shallow waters.