BERLIN — In Germany, an intricate rescue mission unfolded on Thursday with the aim of saving a humpback whale that has captivated the nation. This whale, affectionately known as Timmy, has been repeatedly stranded along the Baltic Sea coast, drawing significant public interest over the past weeks.
Currently, Timmy lies in shallow waters near Wismar, a town in eastern Germany, where it has shown little movement for several days, raising concerns about its survival.
Timmy’s unusual journey began on March 3 when it was first sighted in the Baltic region, a considerable distance from its natural oceanic habitat. The reasons behind its unexpected presence in these waters remain unclear.
Some marine experts speculate that Timmy may have veered off course while chasing a shoal of herring or during its migratory route. The whale now faces the daunting challenge of navigating several hundred kilometers back to the North Sea and ultimately returning to the Atlantic Ocean.
Efforts to aid Timmy have included attempts to refloat the whale, enlisting the assistance of police boats, excavators, and inflatable craft. Although these efforts temporarily provided relief, the situation remains precarious.
Previous rescue efforts have failed
Attempts to refloat the mammal with the help of police boats, excavators and inflatable boats had temporarily freed it.
But the whale, which measures 12 to 15 meters (39 to 49 feet) long, never found its way back to the North Sea and was stranded again while becoming weaker and sicker.
Local media have started days-long livestreams to feed the outsized public attention to the fate of the whale, which is lying in shallow waters and only breathing slowly and heavily.
Online newspapers have pushed alerts with the smallest developments about Timmy’s health, including updates on its bad skin condition, which is related to the Baltic Sea’s low salt content.
Activists have staged protests on the beach in Wismar calling for the animal’s liberation, while influencers have debated whether the best way to help the animal was to let it die in peace or keep trying to assist its return to the Atlantic Ocean.
Timmy getting police protection and expert assistance
Interest has been so strong that police had put up a 500-meter (1,640 foot) protection zone to keep curious bystanders from getting too close and stressing the stranded whale even more.
Despite these efforts, a 67-year-old woman jumped off a boat on the weekend trying to get close to the whale before she was stopped.
Experts have come up with a sophisticated plan to use air cushions to lift the animal onto a tarp, which will be secured to two pontoons and attached to a tugboat.
State officials have approved a private initiative to transport the whale back to the North Sea and possibly further to the Atlantic.
If everything goes according to plan, the tugboat carrying Timmy will have left the Baltic Sea by Friday.
“He’s not active, and he’s certainly not agile, but he shows that there’s still life in him,” Till Backhaus, the environment minister of the state of Mecklenburg-Pomerania, where Wismar is located, said Wednesday as he announced the new rescue plan.
“He’s definitely suffered serious damage, that’s for sure.”
Greenpeace, which has been involved in previous rescue operations, said it wasn’t supporting the latest one.
“We do not support the rescue operation because, according to all the information we have, this whale is sick and severely weakened,” a spokesperson for the environmental organization told German news agency dpa.
