Stranded humpback whale begins risky journey to North Sea freedom

Rescue Convoy Carrying Stranded Humpback Whale Heads Toward North Sea

The tow convoy transporting the humpback whale that had been stranded for weeks along the Baltic coast is now en route to the North Sea. According to the vessel tracking service VesselFinder, the convoy was located roughly six nautical miles (about 11 kilometers) southeast of Fehmarn early this morning. A spokesperson for the accompanying water police confirmed that the transport was moving at a "very slow speed" toward the island.

Under a plan devised by a private rescue initiative, the whale is to be taken on a multi-day journey around the northern tip of Denmark through the Skagerrak strait and released into the North Sea.

On Tuesday evening, the tugboat Robin Hood took the barge carrying the whale in tow at the mouth of the Kirchsee lagoon near the island of Poel. From there, it proceeded—along with the water-filled cargo barge—into Wismar Bay and out into the open Baltic Sea.

Rescue Operation Enters Critical Phase

Shortly after the Robin Hood secured the barge, the multi-purpose vessel Fortune B also departed from the port of Wismar and joined the convoy. According to current plans, one ship will tow the engineless cargo barge while the other escorts the group.

The transfer of the whale onto the barge marked the decisive phase of the rescue operation on Tuesday. For several hours, rescuers had guided the animal into a specially dredged channel. Team members then used straps to pull the whale toward the barge. By 2:45 p.m., the whale was finally inside the lowered vessel. A net was then stretched over the barge to prevent the whale from escaping, and smaller boats pushed it out of the Kirchsee lagoon into Wismar Bay, where the tugboat Robin Hood took it in tow.

Rescuers Spent Hours Guiding Whale to Cargo Barge

Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania's Environment Minister Till Backhaus (SPD) expressed relief after the successful operation. "A huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders," he said in the port of Kirchdorf. "At one point, I was ready to jump into the water myself to help him those last few meters." The minister admitted he had wept while observing the rescue from the ship.

After the operation, the volunteers from the private rescue initiative embraced in the harbor, some moved to tears of relief after weeks of tension and uncertainty. As they arrived in Kirchdorf's port, onlookers greeted them with cheers and applause. "We never gave up hope," one spectator said.

Experts Concerned About Whale's Health

Before the rescue, experts had questioned whether the effort would succeed. "The whale's overall condition has continued to deteriorate," scientists warned. To monitor its health during the multi-day journey to the North Sea, veterinarians from the private initiative will accompany the animal, according to organizers.

It remains unclear whether the whale will survive the transport or, if released, will be able to thrive in the North Sea or Atlantic. Researchers suspect that before its stranding, the whale repeatedly sought out shallow waters because it was weakened and needed to rest.

Whale First Spotted in Early March

Authorities reported that the humpback whale was first sighted near the coast in early March, initially in the port of Wismar. In the night of March 22–23, it became stranded on a sandbank off Timmendorfer Strand in Schleswig-Holstein. Though the animal managed to free itself via a dredged channel, it did not head for open water or northward as expected. Instead, it swam back toward Wismar.

Eventually, it entered the shallow Kirchsee lagoon near the island of Poel, where it stranded again. Though it briefly freed itself, it became stuck once more just hours later at the lagoon's mouth. This led to the current rescue operation.