Whale frees itself after rescue effort off Germany's Baltic coast

A stranded humpback whale near Timmendorfer Strand freed itself and is now swimming in deeper water off Lübeck Bay after several days of rescue work, during which diggers were used to dredge a channel and boats escorted the animal.

A humpback whale that had been stranded near the resort of Timmendorfer Strand off Germany's Baltic coast freed itself and is now swimming in deeper water off Lübeck Bay. The animal was first spotted last Monday and is reported to be about 12–15 metres in length. Rescue teams worked through the week to free the whale, using diggers to dredge a channel and operating under floodlights. Officials said boats, including the coast guard, were escorting the mammal as it moved away from the sandbank. Details: - The whale was reported as swimming about 300 metres off the coast in Lübeck Bay after freeing itself. - It was first seen stranded near Timmendorfer Strand and is estimated at 12–15 metres long. - Two diggers were deployed to dredge a channel for the whale, and teams worked late into the day under floodlights. - A colleague in an inflatable boat was alongside the whale when its departure from the sandbank was confirmed, and several boats have been escorting it. - Rescuers were unable to fit a tracker because of the whale's poor skin condition, and a piece of netting is lodged in its mouth. - Local officials and a biologist involved in the effort expressed cautious optimism about the whale's ability to continue moving toward open water. Summary: The whale's move into deeper water follows coordinated rescue activity and on-site efforts to create a navigable channel. Authorities reported that it was being escorted by boats and that experts hope it will head north toward Denmark, then into the North Sea and the Atlantic to reach its natural range.