After four days and several failed attempts, marine rescuers hatched a last-ditch plan
Against the odds, a 40-foot humpback whale that had been stranded in shallow waters off the coast of northern Germany swam to the open sea overnight, the culmination of extensive efforts to save it. After four days and several failed attempts, marine rescuers hatched a last-ditch plan.
They ordered an excavator, which they assembled Thursday afternoon, to dredge the sand around the giant mammal, hoping to create a channel for it to swim out into the Baltic Sea from the Niendorf beach in the Bay of Lübeck. It is exceptionally difficult to save a stranded whale. This one had suffered a skin infection and had parts of a fish net stuck in its mouth. But by Thursday night, the signs were positive: The whale had moved a few yards through the newly dug channel, said Stephanie Gross, a member of the rescue effort and a veterinarian at the Institute of Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife in Germany. The channel was mostly completed by late Thursday, and rescuers awoke Friday to the news that the whale had swum out to deeper waters. By 6 a.m., some stood on the beach and saw it with their own eyes. An hour later, they received a call from local authorities saying that the whale had made substantial progress toward open waters. By midday Friday, the whale was still in the bay, but rescue boats were nearby, attempting to coax the whale toward the North Sea, Gross said. "We are actually really quite exhausted, but of course we are really happy that the animal made it on its own," she said."Hopefully he will be OK with being guided out of the bay." Ex // Top Stories For what — and for whom — is SF's public art? As private displays prevail and public programs suffer, societal divisions grow Why mega-IPOs from OpenAI, SpaceX could hamper broader IPO market The sheer size of the potential offerings from major firms is likely to suck the air out of the room for other public offerings, market watchers say SF steps up efforts to designate local landmarks amid push for housing SF has a new accelerated landmarking program adopted to preserve historic and cultural resources in balance with updated zoning rules intended to spur housing construction Until Friday morning, it was not at all clear that the whale would be able to swim away. Experts determined that the whale, believed to be a male weighing some 26,000 pounds, would have a higher chance of survival if it swam free on its own, rather than being pushed or towed. Creating a channel seemed like the most viable option. Rescuers had hoped Thursday that if the whale could swim free, it would find its way into deeper waters. Still, the North Sea is a long way away, more than 200 nautical miles, and the rescue is not finished. As night drew nearer Friday, it was unclear how long the boats could keep the whale in sight. Researchers had not been not able to tag it because of its skin infection, so tracking it could depend on sightings by the public. The whale's shortest route to the North Sea is past Danish islands; the coast of Gothenburg, Sweden; and then west toward Norway. "We have to see how it goes in the next days and weeks," Gross said, adding:"All our fingers are crossed."
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Stranded at sea by the Iran conflictBasic
Read more »
Stranded at sea by the Iran conflictBasic
Read more »
German rescuers race to save humpback whale stranded off Baltic Sea beachRescue crews in northern Germany are working to save a humpback whale that has become stranded in shallow water off the Baltic Sea coast in Lübeck Bay, according to CNN affiliate RTL.
Read more »
Whale swims free after days stuck on German sandbankA stranded whale in Germany’s Baltic Sea has finally swum free after rescuers cut an escape route, but it still faces danger. A marine biologist says the whale moved overnight through a channel dug in the sand. The whale got stuck on Monday near the resort town of Timmendorfer Strand.
Read more »
'We don’t sleep': Sailors stranded in Persian Gulf as rockets fly over their headsMithil Aggarwal is a Hong Kong-based reporter/producer for NBC News.
Read more »
Razorbacks Pitching Implodes with Season-High 10 Walks in 9-4 LossFlorida's Liam Peterson stranded seven Arkansas runners as the Gators took the series opener 9-4 Friday night.
Read more »