Unprecedented operation in Germany: authorities give another chance to Timmy, a whale that failed two weeks ago
The authorities in the state of Mecklenburg – Lower Pomerania authorized on Wednesday, April 15, a new attempt to save a humpback whale that had been stranded for almost two weeks in a bay on the Baltic Sea. The decision comes after the specialists abandoned the proceedings considering the cetacean condemned to death, reports AFP.
“We have decided that the rescue of the whale, which is still alive, can take place. For the first time, we open the possibility of returning the animal to its natural environmentl”, announced the Minister of the Environment, Till Backhaus, according to the same source, quoted by Agerpres.
The operation will be coordinated by two entrepreneurs who have come up with a complex plan to transport the mammal to the North Sea or even the North Atlantic, respecting animal welfare regulations. The whale, initially christened “Timmy”, is very weak, but continues to show signs of life, a fact that kept alive the hope of the rescuers.
All previous rescue attempts were suspended in early April after experts assessed the chances of survival as slim. With a length of 12–15 meters, the whale swam disoriented for four weeks in the Baltic Sea before stranding near the island of Poel.
Water jets, lifting on pneumatic cushions and transporting on a pontoon system
The intervention plan provides for freeing the whale with the help of water jets, lifting it on pneumatic cushions and transporting it on a pontoon system, under the permanent supervision of veterinarians. The two entrepreneurs involved announced that they would start operations immediately and renamed the whale “Hope”.
The mobilization to save the cetacean is extensive: firefighters, divers, biologists, veterinarians and maritime police have been involved since March 23, when the animal was first observed in distress.
The story of the stranded whale captured the attention of the German public and even of President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who is going to discuss with local experts.
The intensity of public emotion also generated excesses, with Minister Till Backhaus denouncing threats to rescuers, fake calls for donations and falsified materials, including videos generated with artificial intelligence.
We recall that, in 2023, a 17-meter-long sperm whale died after stranding on a beach in Bali, an island in Indonesia.
