A survey regarding the humpback whale stranded off the coast of the Baltic Sea found that over half of Germans feel concern for its fate. Specifically, 53 percent of respondents surveyed indicated that they were worried about the animal, while 36 percent stated they were not concerned, and 11 percent could not make an assessment.
When questioned about how to handle the trapped whale, results showed that only a relative majority favors further rescue efforts. Forty-five percent of respondents support additional measures to save the animal, while 37 percent argue against intervention, suggesting the whale should be allowed to die naturally. In a smaller group, five percent advocated for killing the animal, such as through an explosive charge, while 13 percent remained undecided.
In other areas, the public response was mixed. When given the option of erecting a memorial monument for the whale, the majority leaned against the idea: 45 percent found a such monument undesirable, compared to 28 percent who found it acceptable, and 27 percent who could not specify. This memorial suggestion had been proposed by Mecklenburg-Vorpommern’s Environment Minister, Till Backhaus (SPD).
The minister’s involvement in the whale crisis itself was viewed as controversial in the survey. Of the respondents, 24 percent rated his actions favorably, while 34 percent rated them poorly. A total of 42 percent of those polled remained undecided.
The poll, conducted for “Bild am Sonntag”, was carried out by the research institute Insa, which interviewed 1,005 individuals between April 23 and April 24, 2026.