DThe rare excursion of a larger humpback whale along the German Baltic Sea coast apparently continues happily. According to the Schleswig-Holstein regional association of the nature conservation organization Nabu, the animal was spotted and filmed on Wednesday in a harbor in the Kiel Fjord near Kiel. The approximately twelve meter long animal had previously been seen for several days in the Flensburg Fjord and in the Flensburg harbor. It also visited Eckernförde Bay.
As Nabu in Neumünster further announced, the whale presumably swam from the North Sea through the Kattegat into the Baltic Sea. The first confirmed sighting was on April 1st by a sailor off the coast of Sweden. The animal then apparently continued on its way south.
There is also apparently a second whale in the Baltic Sea at the same time. According to Nabu, another animal was observed by two officers on a ferry off the German Baltic Sea island of Fehmarn on Monday. However, it could not have been the humpback whale, which was proven to be in the Flensburg harbor at that time. However, it was unclear what type of whale the second animal was. According to Nabu, it could also be a fin whale.
Baltic Sea not a suitable habitat
Visits by large whales to the rather shallow Baltic Sea are rare, but do occur. According to Nabu, one or possibly two whales were in the Flensburg Fjord in 2014. In 2016, a young humpback whale even lived for several months in the Greifswalder Bodden between Rügen and Usedom on the coast of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. He later disappeared. It is believed that he left the Baltic Sea and survived. No dead whale washed ashore.
However, according to environmentalists, the Baltic Sea is not a suitable habitat for the large marine mammals. The sea is noisy and polluted due to human activities, which stresses the animals. Fishing nets pose a further threat. However, there is a “particularly great” danger that the whales will not find enough food and become emaciated. It is hoped that the animals will leave the Baltic Sea “as soon as possible,” explained Nabu.
The humpback whale grows to an average height of around 13 meters and weighs up to around 30 tonnes. Its very large pectoral fins, which are often white, are characteristic. Humpback whales live in all oceans from the polar regions to the tropics and feed on plankton, krill and small schooling fish.
The animals prefer the open seas, where they migrate long distances throughout the year. They stay in shallower coastal waters, especially during breeding times. Humpback whales used to be heavily hunted. Since humpback whale hunting was banned in 1963, the population has recovered somewhat, according to the environmental protection organization WWF. An estimated 11,500 specimens live in the North Atlantic today.
According to Nabu, so-called visiting whales have also occasionally occurred in the Baltic Sea in earlier centuries. According to historical sources, a hunt for a humpback whale took place in Eckernförde more than 250 years ago, which ended with the animal stranding. According to the organization's experts, the animals are likely to follow schools of herring or generally venture into the Baltic Sea in search of new habitat.
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