A giant whale has been stranded in shallow waters off Germany’s Baltic Sea coast, officials said Tuesday, after rescue teams failed in the latest attempt to save the animal.
The marine mammal, about 10 meters (32 feet) long, was unable to free itself during high tide overnight, a police spokesman said.
Rescue workers tried to free the whale on Tuesday by sucking sand from beneath it.
“Unfortunately, it turned out that the sand was very dense,” said Stephanie Gross of the Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research (ITAW).
Local mayor Sven Parthel-Bohnke said, “We will do everything possible to save the animal.”
A new effort is scheduled for Thursday, he said, as various equipment is en route to the scene, but they will not arrive until Wednesday afternoon.
one of the largest animals in the world
The whale was first spotted early Monday near Niendorf in the northern state of Schleswig-Holstein.
Early signs indicate it may be a humpback whale – one of the largest animals on Earth with distinct pectoral fins or flippers.
Rescue workers have been trying to free it from the pile of sand since Monday afternoon with the help of wave-generating boats, drone technology as well as volunteers and experts.
Although their mission has not been successful yet, they managed to partially free it from the net that was wrapped around its body.
It’s not clear how the whale got stuck
Public broadcaster NDR previously reported that the whale could be heard making “deep, low” sounds from time to time and appeared weak.
To ensure that spectators did not face any disturbance, police used barricades on the ground.
It is still unclear why the whale reached the shallow waters of the Baltic Bay. Stefanie Gross of the Hanover-based Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research Institute said it could be sick, injured, tired or simply unlucky.
Marine conservation group Sea Shepherd says the mammal is likely a young male on migration and they believe it may be the same whale that was repeatedly spotted in the area earlier this month.
Edited by: Wesley Dockery