Whale freed by rescuers after days stranded on Baltic coast

Rescuers freed a humpback whale that had been stranded in shallow water off the north German coast in the Baltic Sea. The animal remained trapped for several days before workers managed to guide it back into deeper waters. Humpback whales occasionally become beached or trapped in coastal shallows, where they face the risk of dehydration and injury if they cannot return to the open ocean. The successful rescue adds to growing efforts by marine mammal teams across Northern Europe to intervene when whales become disoriented or disabled near populated coastlines. Such incidents highlight the challenges these large marine mammals face as shipping lanes and coastal development expand into their traditional migration routes.