A stranded humpback whale in Germany’s Baltic Sea looks weaker, and experts fear it won’t be able to find its way back to the Atlantic despite several attempts at its rescue this week. A 500-meter (yards) restricted area was enforced around the whale so it could get some rest and hopefully free itself, officials said Sunday in a news conference in the eastern German coastal town of Wismar, near where the giant cetacean has been stuck. “He would be able to do so if he regains his strength, and that is why we decided to leave him alone, allowing him to actually set off and then successfully leave this area,” said Till Backhaus, the environment minister of the state of Mecklenburg-Pomerania, where Wismar is located. “But we also have to assume that he is weakened. And he is also sick,” said Backhaus, adding that the humpback whale may have injuries because it came into contact with a fishing net. Previous efforts to rescue the 12-15 meter (39-49 feet) whale off a sandbank at Timmendorfer Strand beach and in the Wismar Bay with the help of an excavator and boats, creating large waves to help it swim free earlier this week, captivated Germans — with media sending news alerts of updates on its progress and streaming live video from the scene. The whale also became a popular topic of conversation across the country, with people exchanging text messages about rescue efforts. But by now, hopes are dimming that the whale is still strong enough to swim free…This article was originally published on Mongabay

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