Overview

• Video footage analyzed by the Deutsches Meeresmuseum identified a live humpback whale off Nonnevitz as a juvenile male.
• Researchers noted repeated fluke-slapping behavior characteristic of male humpbacks communicating or attracting mates.
• The sighting adds to an unusual pattern of mis-migration that has produced multiple live encounters and carcasses along North and Baltic Sea coasts this year.
• Officials lack precise data on the whale’s current location and urge observers to steer clear of its path and refrain from approaching head-on.
• Ongoing monitoring and public guidance aim to minimize human disruption while scientists study the environmental factors driving these rare Baltic appearances.