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Scientists' efforts to free whale stuck in the Baltic Sea cause online firestorm

German scientists face a social media firestorm as they try to save a humpback whale in the Baltic Sea.

Copyright 2026 NPR

Rob Schmitz
Rob Schmitz is NPR's international correspondent based in Berlin, where he covers the human stories of a vast region reckoning with its past while it tries to guide the world toward a brighter future. From his base in the heart of Europe, Schmitz has covered Germany's levelheaded management of the COVID-19 pandemic, the rise of right-wing nationalist politics in Poland and creeping Chinese government influence inside the Czech Republic.
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