Stray humpback whale found in Baltic near Poland

GDANSK, Poland, Apr 1 (Reuters) A 10-metre humpback has been spotted off the Polish coast of the Baltic Sea and scientists said it was the first appearance of a whale there in nearly three decades.

''I saw it! This is probably the first whale that swam into our bay in 27 years,'' Krzysztof Skora, the head of the Marine Centre on the coast of Gdansk bay, told Reuters.

Humpback whales, which have black backs, a white belly and very long flippers, rarely appear in the Baltic Sea due to a lack of large fish they usually feed on and the low saltiness of the sea water, he said.

''For now there's plenty of sprats in the bay but the problem will be when the fish get dispersed. And it will really feel lonely if it decides to stay here,'' Skora said.

REUTERS PG RK0840