A young humpback whale that spent days trapped in shallow Baltic coastal waters was successfully moved by barge and released into the North Sea with a tracking device attached.
Humpback whales belong in open ocean. They are built for depth and distance, navigating by sound across thousands of miles. When a young humpback found itself in the shallow coastal waters of the Baltic Sea, it had entered a world it was not designed for, and getting out proved far harder than getting in.
For several days the whale remained in waters too shallow for easy movement, while rescue teams assembled to help. Marine biologists, veterinarians, coast guard officers and volunteers coordinated a plan that would require moving the animal without causing further stress.
The solution was a barge. The whale was carefully guided alongside it and the team transported it out of the coastal shallows and into the deeper waters of the North Sea, where it could navigate freely again. Before release, a satellite tracker was attached so the team could monitor its movement in the days that followed.
Whale rescues of this scale are logistically complex and physically demanding. They require patience, expertise and the willingness of many different organisations to work together toward a single outcome. This one succeeded.
Humpbacks are not common visitors to the Baltic. Their presence, even when it creates difficulties, is a reminder that large marine mammals are moving through European waters in greater numbers as conservation efforts have helped populations recover in recent decades.
The whale's long beak eventually protruded from the water, and then the animal was moving freely in the right direction. Somewhere in the North Sea, with a tracker recording its journey, a young whale is finding its way home.
Source: The Guardian