A humpback whale showing signs of severe illness was spotted on July 10, 2026, near Denmark's Aarhus harbor. The animal appeared to have a skin disease featuring white, bubbling skin. The Danish Environmental Protection Agency has urged the public to keep a safe distance from the animal, having first issued the warning on July 9.
Authorities believe the whale is the same individual previously seen in the Little Belt strait in recent weeks. Marine biologist Rune Kristiansen noted that the whale had also been sighted earlier near Norway and Scotland. Although emergency services are monitoring the situation closely, the agency confirmed that they do not intervene with free-living wild whales.
The sighting comes in the wake of an incident in May 2026, when another humpback whale named Timmy beached and died near the Danish island of Anholt.