Humpback whale freed by rescuers in Baltic Sea has become stranded again

BERLIN (AP) — A humpback whale that was freed after becoming stuck for several days in shallow water at a Baltic Sea resort in Germany was stranded again on Saturday after failing to find its way back to the Atlantic Ocean.

The complicated and delicate efforts to rescue the 12-15 meter (39-49 feet) whale off a sandbank at Timmendorfer Strand beach earlier this week captivated Germans — with media sending news alerts of updates on its progress and streaming live video from the scene.

The whale became a popular topic of conversation across the country, with people exchanging text messages about the rescue efforts.

An excavator was used on Thursday to dig an escape channel after earlier unsuccessful efforts to coax the whale back toward deeper water, including using coast guard and fire department boats to create large waves.

It finally swam through the man-made channel early on Friday, and rescuers lost track of it until it was spotted the following day, further east near the coastal town of Wismar, in the state of Mecklenburg-Pomerania.

Greenpeace confirmed on Saturday that the mammal had become stranded again, German news agency dpa reported.

A spokesperson for Mecklenburg-Pomerania's environment ministry told dpa that “after managing to free itself from its plight, the whale was spotted again at noon today in Wismar Bay.”

It was not immediately known if another rescue attempt would be mounted.

It is not clear why the whale swam into the Baltic Sea. Some experts pondered that the animal may have lost its way when it swam after a shoal of herring, while another theory is that the whale is likely a male, as males tend to migrate.

The marine mammal cannot survive in the Baltic Sea long-term. Among other issues, the salt concentration of the water isn't high enough and the creature has already developed a skin disease, local media reported. It also won't be able to find the right kind of nutrition it needs.

If it is to survive it will need to return to the Atlantic Ocean, which is a journey of several hundred kilometers (miles) through German and Danish waters.

People from the Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research and firefighters attempt to free a whale washed up on the beach on the Baltic coast near Timmendorfer Strand, Germany, Monday, March 23, 2026. (Ulrich Perrey/dpa via AP)

A suction dredger, right, is to be used to dredge a pathway for the whale, left, which is stranded on the Baltic coast off near Timmendorfer Strand, Germany, Tuesday March 24, 2026. (Ulrich Perrey/dpa via AP)

Robert Marc Lehmann, biologist, examines a stranded whale in the Baltic Sea in Timmendorfer Strand, Germany, Thursday, March 26, 2026. (Daniel Bockwoldt/dpa via AP)

Helpers gather on the beach near a stranded whale as a new rescue attempt is to be made in Timmendorfer Strand, Germany, Thursday, March 26, 2026. (Daniel Bockwoldt/dpa via AP)

A humpback whale swims in the Baltic Sea, accompanied by an inflatable boat, after freeing itself the night before from being stranded off Niendorf in Timmendorfer Strand, Germany, Friday March 27, 2026. (Marcus Brandt/dpa via AP)

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico's navy said Saturday it found two sailboats that had gone missing while carrying humanitarian aid to Cuba.

The vessels carrying nine people departed from Isla Mujeres in southern Mexico on March 20 and then lost contact, fueling concern in Mexico, Cuba and beyond.

In a post on X on Saturday morning, the navy said an aircraft spotted the boats 80 nautical miles (148 kilometers) northwest of Havana, Cuba, and that a boat was on the way to provide help.

An increasing number of countries and aid organizations have sent shipments of aid to Cuba as a U.S. fuel blockade has caused crippling blackouts and pushes the Caribbean nation to the brink of collapse.

The organization Nuestra América Convoy said Friday that based on the speed of the vessels reported to the Cuban maritime authorities, the window of arrival for the boats in Havana should be between Friday and Saturday and that the boats were led by experienced sailors.

James Schneider, communications director for Progressive International who helped coordinate the Nuestra America convoy to Cuba, thanked Mexican and Cuban authorities for their help on Saturday and said he was “relieved” to hear they were safe.

“The crews are safe, and the vessels are continuing their journey to Havana,” he said. “The convoy remains on track to complete its mission — delivering urgently needed humanitarian aid to the Cuban people."

Activists wave Cuban and Palestinian flags from the vessel Maguro, arriving from Mexico with humanitarian aid as part of the "Nuestra America," or Our America Convoy, in Havana Bay, Cuba, Tuesday, March 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)