Hel: complex operation to retrieve a dead whale from the Baltic Sea

Since the early hours of this morning, an operation is underway in Hel to retrieve the body of a dead whale that appeared in the Baltic Sea. The animal probably died of starvation, as the Baltic Sea is unable to provide enough food for such a large creature.

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This is the first operation of its kind carried out in Poland, so not everything is going as those leading the operation would like. The corpse of the dead whale was to be lifted from the water by a specially brought crane with a lifting capacity of 40 tonnes. This is twice the whale’s weight, but poor positioning of the equipment made it impossible to complete the operation successfully.

A second crane, capable of lifting up to 200 tonnes, is currently working on the site. The situation is made very difficult by the condition of the animal’s body. The whale is in an advanced state of decomposition and there is a risk that it will not be possible to pull it out in one piece. What is more, the carcass has filled with gases that have significantly increased its volume.

Once extracted, the body of the whale is to be transported to a site designated by Marine Station staff, located about 1km from where the entire operation is taking place. Once the body has been formally handed over to the Marine Station, staff will then proceed to examine the body (it is still unclear which species we are dealing with) and collect scientifically important material.

Source: tvn24.pl