March 31, 2026, 2:21 p.mMarch 31, 2026, 2:44 p.m
The humpback whale spotted off the German Baltic Sea coast off Wismar is once again stuck in a bay. This was announced by the Environment Minister of the German state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Till Backhaus, and the environmental protection organization Greenpeace at a press conference.
Greenpeace had previously been traveling in a rubber dinghy in the Bay of Wismar to keep the humpback whale, which had been spotted there again, away from shallower waters. “But we are confident that the whale will continue to decide to stay in the open water and swim into the wider Baltic Sea,” said Greenpeace marine biologist Thilo Maack in Wismar.
The whale was named “Timmy” because it was discovered on Timmendorf Beach.Image: keystone
Since the morning, emergency services have been searching again for the buck whale off the Baltic Sea coast, which had swum out of the shallow water off Wismar the day before and then dived.
The humpback whale had been lying in shallow water in the bay off Wismar since at least Saturday and was shielded from onlookers. On Monday evening, the whale moved as the water level continued to rise and then dived. Since it was no longer visible due to the darkness, the boats returned at night.
Wal appeared more agile as Monday progressed
“The peace of mind we gave the whale paid off. “He gained enough strength to react to the motivation from our boat and start swimming,” said the Environment Minister of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Till Backhaus (SPD) in the evening.
Scientists, environmentalists and Environment Minister Backhaus had already tried to contact the animal on Monday afternoon. The whale reacted to the boat’s approach and appeared more agile, said a ministry spokesman.
Whale near the coast in the Baltic Sea since the beginning of March
The humpback whale was initially stranded on a sandbank in Schleswig-Holstein off Timmendorfer Strand on the night of March 23rd. On Friday night, the animal managed to leave the shallow water after helpers dug a channel. On Saturday he was spotted in shallow water off Wismar. According to the Ministry of the Environment, the whale had been traveling in the coastal area of the Baltic Sea since March 3rd. (hkl/sda/dpa)