A humpback whale was observed off the Baltic Sea coast near Heiligenhafen. The environment ministry confirmed the sighting and warned against approaching.
On Thursday morning at 10:40, Thomas Rockel spotted the whale about 100 meters off the coast at the level of Dazendorf, three kilometers southwest of Heiligenhafen.
Expert Eckhard Kasten determined it was a large whale. The environment ministry later confirmed: “It is a humpback whale and presumably the animal that was already seen off Scotland and Denmark.”
The whale then moved toward the open sea. The ministry advised keeping distance and avoiding ship traffic, as this causes stress for the animal.
The sighting recalls humpback whale “Timmy,” which previously stranded off Timmendorfer Strand.