Baleen whale Hartwin in Baltic Sea likely to die

The 15‑metre baleen whale dubbed Hartwin has been repeatedly sighted in the Baltic Sea near the Danish islands of Fünen and the Kattegat coast. Marine biologist Heiko Buch‑Illing, head of the Fjord&Bælt research centre, says the whale appears weakened, moves unusually slowly and shows an abnormally bright, parasite‑laden skin surface.

Buch‑Illing warned that "Da gibt’s keine Chance. Er wird sterben" and predicts the animal will either drown or strand on a shallow shore within weeks, echoing the fate of the earlier whale Timmy Hope, which died after stranding on a Danish coast in March 2026. The name Hartwin was given by the rescue group "Stranded No More" because a heart‑shaped skin lesion on the whale resembles the English word "heart" (Hart). Conservationists fear the same outcome as Timmy, while noting that the overall hump‑back population in Danish waters is growing.

The whale’s presence highlights growing pressure on hump‑back whales in the region’s border waters, where food scarcity and expanding ranges may push individuals into unfamiliar, shallow habitats, increasing the risk of mortality.