Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. Sea rescuers and wildlife activists in dinghies approach a whale to cut it loose from fishing nets off the Baltic Sea beach near Miedzyzdroje, Poland, on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025. (Maritime Search and Rescue Service via AP) Sea rescuers watch a whale that got caught in fishing nets as they prepare to assist in cutting it loose, off the Baltic Sea beach near Miedzyzdroje, Poland, on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025. (Maritime Search and Rescue Service via AP) A whale that got caught in fishing nets stays close to the water surface in the Baltic Sea before rescuers were able to free it near the beach in Miedzyzdroje, Poland, on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025. (Maritime Search and Rescue Service via AP) Sea rescuers approach a whale that got caught in fishing nets before another team cut it loose, off the Baltic Sea beach near Miedzyzdroje, Poland, on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025. (Maritime Search and Rescue Service via AP) WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Teams of sea rescuers and wildlife experts on Wednesday successfully freed a whale that got caught in fishing nets near a popular Baltic Sea resort in Poland. It took about an hour for the rescuers to cut and remove the nets and allow the whale to swim into the open sea, close to the popular summer resort and beach in Miedzyzdroje, where the stranded animal was spotted in the morning. Konrad Wrzecionkowski from WWF Poland, a conservation organization, said the whale made a “great and positive impression” on him but the action was potentially dangerous for the rescuers and was very stressful. “You have to approach these animals with a lot of respect and we knew that if it chose to wave its tail, we would all find ourselves in the water,” Wrzecionkowski told The Associated Press. “The situation was very stressful for him, but with time, when the nets were getting looser, he seemed to understand that we were trying to help him and the untangling became easier. And then he swam off into the sea,” Wrzecionkowski said. He said the boat he was in was some 3 meters (10 feet) long and the animal was at least twice as long. The rescuers used boathooks on long poles, rather than knives, to loosen and remove the nets, rather than cutting them with knives, in order to avoid harming the animal. Whales normally live in the open waters of oceans, but sometimes individual animals swim from the Atlantic Ocean into the Baltic Sea through the Danish Straits. The rescuers hope the whale will find its way back to the Atlantic because the Baltic is not a suitable environment for whales. Nearly 200 people from all over the country, including local residents, took part in the event, achieving this remarkable feat together. The task involved participants taking turns to immerse themselves in a tub filled with ice-cold water in a relay format. By regularly swapping every few minutes, the Poles succeeded in forming the largest group in the world to participate in this challenge at that moment. Międzyzdroje Mayor Mateusz Bobek also expressed his gratitude to everyone who contributed to this success via social media. Michał Jurkowski also took part in the record attempt as part of his training for next year, when he plans to break the Guinness World Record for the "Longest Time of Full Body Contact with Ice." The current record is 4 hours and 2 minutes, and Jurkowski aims to surpass it in 2025. Among the organizers of this extraordinary initiative was Katarzyna Jakubowska, who, a year ago, set the Guinness World Record for the longest full-body ice contact by a woman, lasting three hours, six minutes, and 45 seconds. Guinness World Records was first published in 1955 in the "Guinness Book of Records," created by the Irish brewery Guinness. The publication aimed to settle disputes over records and achievements, and the first Polish edition was released in 1989 by the Gdańsk-based publishing house Reprom. Source: Facebook.com/Międzyzdroje; Burmistrz Międzyzdrojów - Mateusz Bobek Check out an audio report by Marcin Matuszewski, available in our player above, for more details on Poland's winter swimming - or "walrusing", as it's called locally. which takes place every July in the nearby Gdynia-Kosakowo airport Be sure to book ahead onto these top rated tours of Sopot to make the most out of your trip Jurata Jurata is a popular seaside resort on the 35 km long Hel Peninsula which separates the Bay of Puck from the Baltic Sea It’s easily reachable from Tricity by train Ideal for relaxed sunset walks on the wide sandy beach it’s also not far away from the seal aquarium (located in Hel Town at the tip of the peninsula) July and August are high season so make sure you book your accommodation in advance fun parks for kids and a 395 metre long pier a visit to the nearby Wolin National Park is a must Łeba and Ustka Łeba and Ustka are coastal towns situated on the two opposite sides of the beautiful Słowiński National Park – famous for its “shifting dunes” which move due to strong winds creating a desert like landscape The park was added to the UNESCO list of World Biosphere Reserves in 1977 Łeba features a mix of high-end establishments like the iconic Neptun Hotel more low-key options including rooms for rent and smaller hotels while Ustka boasts two beaches (one high-cliffed one flat) connected by a pedestrianised bridge on the Słupia River It is also home to many cafes and fish restaurants and an annual firework festival (every July) Sign up to our newsletter to save up to $800 on our unique trips See privacy policy Rewal is much smaller than other resorts mentioned in this article yet it can also get quiet crowded during the summer months Its long cream white beach is perfect for picnics sunbathing and leisurely afternoon strolls Rewal is located only two kilometers from Trzęsacz where you can admire the ruins of a 15th century church which has been gradually taken by the sea over the years and is now reduced to a single brick wall towering over the beach on a sandy cliff private villas and camping sites dotted around a vast pine forest dividing the village from the dunes and a wide beach it hosts Poland’s biggest Frisbee tournament called SandSlash If you click on a link in this story All recommendations have been independently sourced by Culture Trip Read Next See & Do The Best European Cities to Visit in Summer See & Do The Best European Cities to Visit in July Guides & Tips The Best European Cities to Visit in December Guides & Tips The Best Places to Travel in August See & Do Lesser-Known Summer Destinations to Visit in Europe See & Do The Best European Cities to Visit in September Guides & Tips Beat the Crowds with these Alternative Summer Destinations Sports A Hiker's Guide to the Tatra Mountains Guides & Tips This Is Europe's Ultimate Road Trip See & Do The Best European Cities to Visit in Autumn See & Do The Best European Cities to Visit in October Guides & Tips The Best European Cities to Visit in November US: +1 (678) 967 4965 | UK: +44 (0)1630 35000 tripssupport@theculturetrip.com © Copyright 2025 The Culture Trip Ltd Log in and download the free e-publication of the latest A&B The printed version is available for sale online in our store and press salons throughout Poland unique e-mail [will also be used as login in the portal] Only name - check the correctness of the data Only the last name - check the correctness of the data password must be at least 8 characters long * fields required for registration; data can be completed in account settings after logging in ** establishment of a student account follows verification of the validity of the student ID card Please try later or let us know: contact Technology: aitnet.pl Ⓒ AiB Publishing House 2025. All rights reserved.  UP Manila Chorale members and conductor John Steven Verrosa (center in black) receive their award during the 10th International Festival of Choral Song in Miedzyzdroje Poland. UP Manila Chorale’s moving interpretation of popular chorus tracks landed them the grand prize in the 10th International Festival of Choral Song in Miedzyzdroje Poland. Twenty-five members of the chorale bested other groups in the oldest choir festival in Poland on June 20, 2024, under the guidance of music director John Steven Verrosa. The group bested 11 other competitors for Musica Sacra and bagged the Gold Diploma and the Main Prize (Amber Halo of St. Peter the Apostle) for the said category. Aside from this, UPMC also bagged the Gold Diploma for the Mixed Category and the Grand Prize for the whole festival. Previously, UPMC received the 2014 Most Outstanding Student Organization of UP Manila and the 2016 Ani ng Dangal (Harvest of Honors) for Music from the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA).   Although Międzyzdroje beach is probably the most “touristic” on this list, you can really escape the crowds here even on the hottest summer days. Walking along the coast to either side from Międzyzdroje‘s central point (the main pier) The key places to get a real taste of the wild and wilderness are just north of the Biała Gora (White Mountain) and on the edge of the Zagroda Pokazowa Żubrów park Międzyzdroje’s main beach is a hive of activity 72-511 Miedzyzdroje, Poland Łeba and Słowiński National Park | © Northern Irishman in Poland This is where your sandy dreams really come to life. Head beyond the lovely coastal town of Łeba and hire some bikes to head through the forest at Słowiński National Park This is a huge national park and nature reserve on Poland’s Baltic coastline But the highlight is likely the presence of the huge Łącka Dune has scintillating views of the Baltic Sea the Natural History Museum explains the Słowiński National Park’s ecosystem due to its size you can always find your freedom from the masses Słowiński National Park, Bohaterów Warszawy 1A, 76-214 Smołdzino, Poland The very mention of the word “Hel” to any tourist coming to Poland evokes images of a devilish or dangerous place that should be avoided, no doubt thanks to the English word “Hell.” However, ignore and block out those images, as this place is a complete paradise! It is a peninsula that can either be reached by land from Władysławowo or by boat from places such as Gdynia Once you “arrive in Hel,” there is no shortage of beach options The main town itself gets busy in summer months but there are some many wild and tranquil spots along the coast Bird watchers also love the variety of species in this region Hel Peninsula, 84-150, Poland Lubiewo Sunrise in Lubiewo | © Northern Irishman in Poland While the superb beaches of Międzyzdroje are packed on hot summer days take a few kilometers’ walk further up the coast to discover the more unusual and calm Lubiewo beach This is a nudist beach where shedding your clothes is the done thing So take your clothes off and go from a swim in the calm waters The place is absolutely stunning at sunrise and nudist beaches in Poland are not so common Plaża Naturystyczna LGBT FKK Strand – Lubiewo, Poland Brzeźno beach in Gdańsk | © Northern Irishman in Poland The only city-based beach to feature is the Brzeźno beach in Gdańsk. It’s nice to know that even in Gdańsk take a short walk along the coast to find much more secluded spots Anywhere north of the pier and on the route to Sopot should provide you with more tranquility and calmness than you expected even the main beach and pier area are bereft of tourists you’ll perhaps meet the odd dog walker only Brzeźno Beach, 80-001 Gdańsk, Poland Kąty Rybackie, 82-110, Poland Jonny grew up in Northern Ireland but his global adventures have seen him live in Australia Jonny is a veteran writer with a taste for the unusual and quirky Jonny's 150 country journey around the world saw him feed hyenas in Ethiopia hitch-hike in Iraq and visit disputed regions unrecognised by the UN Jonny is usually based in Poland but is never far away from another adventure and runs travel blogs in several niches See & Do The Best European Cities to Visit in Summer