Rescuers who have been trying to free a whale stranded in shallow water off the north German coast have said “every minute counts” as they battle to release the animal.
Sven Biertumpfel, of the Sea Shepherd marine conservation group, told Sky News if they cannot get it off the shore “it will probably die there, because it’s exhausting for the whale”.
Asked how long the 10m (33ft) humpback whale, thought to be a male, has left to live if it stays stuck, he said it can take “up to one week or even longer” for an animal that size to suffocate.
Animal rights activist Robert Marc Lehmann stands next to the whale. Pic: Reuters
The beached whale lies in shallow water. Pic: AP
The whale is marooned off the Timmendorfer Strand beach on the Baltic Sea coastline of the Schleswig-Holstein region, where rescue efforts began on Monday.
As for how the whale came to be in the area, Mr Biertumpfel said the Baltic Sea is not a humpback’s natural habitat, adding “maybe he followed some fish or some food”.
The water has less salt than the North Sea or the Atlantic Ocean, meaning it’s “bad for the skin”, which could lead to a potentially fatal infection, he said.
“So every minute counts,” added Mr Biertumpfel.
The whale, which weighs several tonnes, got entangled in nets, the conservationist said, adding that even though they had removed some of it, a biologist who entered the water to check the whale told them there was still some net in its mouth.
On Thursday, an underwater earth mover was used to try to dig a channel for the beast to escape, while police vessels, inflatable boats and drones have also been deployed, but, by Thursday afternoon, all attempts have been unsuccessful.
At one point, the animal, which is still alive, was turned so its head was pointing towards deeper water, as rescuers hoped it could find its own way back to sea, but it merely returned to its previous position.
A dredger at work next to the whale. Pic: DPA/AP
Rescuers attempt to refloat the mammal. Pic: Reuters
Boats from the coastguard and the fire department passed by, creating large waves in the hope of freeing the animal – but also without success.
Rescuers are unwilling to try to pull the animal, which weighs several tons, out to deeper water for fear of injuring it, experts said.
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Fences have been put up to keep a large crowd of onlookers off the beach to make sure the whale “does not become even more stressed”, police spokesperson Ulli Fritz Gerlach said.
Stefan Stauch, who had come with his wife from the nearby village of Scharbeutz after hearing the whale’s sounds during the night, said: “Poor thing. I hope he can still be saved.”
