The DPA news agency has reported a widespread bloom of toxic blue-green algae at Baltic Sea resorts and in lakes across northern Germany. The bloom was triggered by a prolonged heatwave gripping the region. In several locations, bathers have already been banned from entering the water.
Satellite imagery has captured extensive algae accumulations off the coast between Rostock and the island of Hiddensee. The affected areas extend across the inland waters as far as the Danish coast.
In the federal state of Schleswig-Holstein, authorities have imposed a total swimming ban for freshwater lakes in the Rendsburg-Eckernförde district, including Bordesholmer See, Bramsee, and Derpsee.
Warnings advising against swimming have also been issued for several Baltic coast beaches in the Ostholstein district. The Ministry of Health of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern has advised people to avoid the water in areas where algae accumulations are visible—identifiable by blue-green turbidity and an oily sheen.
This applies to the coast near Rostock-Warnemünde, Kühlungsborn, Heiligendamm, and Wolenberger Wiek (near Wismar), as well as the rivers and lakes of the Mecklenburg Lake District.
The state health authority explained that the algae—which are actually cyanobacteria—release dangerous toxins. Direct contact can trigger acute allergic reactions and irritation of the skin and mucous membranes.
Accidental ingestion of the water poses a risk of nausea and vomiting. This situation is unfolding amidst one of Europe’s most intense heatwaves in recent years, which has hit Spain, Portugal, France, Italy, and Greece particularly hard.
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