There is probably no hope left for whale Timmy. The animal has been lying in the Kirchsee off the island of Poel since Tuesday. An expert now explains what his final days look like.
April 2, 2026, 6:46 p.mApril 2, 2026, 6:46 p.m
Anouschka Hamp / t-online
After numerous rescue attempts, it was decided on Wednesday not to take any further measures to save the whale, which has been repeatedly stranded on the Baltic Sea coast for over a week. His condition is increasingly deteriorating. Marine biologist Thilo Maack from Greenpeace found clear words in the conversation on Thursday: “He’s not doing well. He’s dying.”
In the past few days, Timmy has usually reacted very strongly to the presence of people, he explained. “When we approached and hit the water with paddles, for example, it always had an effect – for example, when he tried to swim.” Things suddenly changed on Wednesday: According to Maack, the whale hardly showed any reaction when the experts approached it.
On Thursday it became clear from its breathing that the humpback whale was degrading more and more. “His breathing is much weaker,” explained the marine biologist. “At the same time, he hardly moves anymore.” The difference is significant compared to the previous days.
“We now want to let him die with dignity and give him the peace he wanted,” said the expert on Thursday. The place in the Kirchsee where the whale has been lying since Tuesday is much quieter than all the places where it was previously stranded.
A spokeswoman for the Wismar water police also confirmed this in an interview: “There is very little boat traffic there.” In order to give the animal the greatest possible peace, an approximately 500 meter exclusion zone was set up around the twelve to 15 meter long whale. “Neither boats nor drones are now allowed to approach the animal,” said the spokeswoman. This is controlled by police officers on land and at sea. “So far everyone has stuck to it.”
The skin “is in a catastrophic condition”
However, no further measures are planned to make Timmy’s final moments easier, explained marine biologist Thilo Maack. Those involved from Greenpeace, Sea Shepherd, the Ministry of the Environment in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the German Oceanographic Museum and the Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research discussed this for a long time. “Various measures were discussed, but we ultimately decided against it in consultation with a veterinarian.”
Whale Timmy stranded for the first time in Timmendorfer Strand near Niendorf at the end of March.Image: keystone
Any approach causes stress for the animal
For example, it was considered to cover the animal with wet cloths to protect its skin, explained the marine biologist. “It is in a catastrophic condition.” Because the whale has been in the Baltic Sea for weeks and therefore in water that has the wrong salinity for it, its skin has become swollen. “Fungus and bacteria have attacked the skin. It is now coming off in large slabs. The subcutis can already be seen underneath,” says Maack.
The thinking was that wipes could protect the skin from further damage. But there was an argument against the fact that the cloths could cover his blowhole when the wind picked up.
There was also the idea of building a pavilion. “We wanted to offer him privacy from onlookers so that he could die with dignity,” said Maack. But that was also rejected for two reasons: “On the one hand, any approach would mean stress for the animal. On the other hand, the area is a protected area. We want to try to interfere as little as possible.” He added that this generally refers to all the measures that were discussed. “Anything we would try now would only prolong the dying process.”
It is difficult to assess whether Timmy is suffering. The marine biologist reminds us that the whale is a wild animal. “We are now taking such a big interest in this because the whale has been so individualized in the past few days. But animals die is the way of things.”
Process could take up to two weeks
It could be several days or even two weeks before it’s over. “You really can’t estimate that,” says Maack. A water police team is currently on duty around the clock in a boat about 300 meters away from the animal. “They monitor the situation with binoculars and keep giving status reports.” If they notice that the animal’s death is getting closer, Greenpeace wants to go out again together with the other institutions involved.
“The plan is to approach with a rubber dinghy and turn off the loud engine about 30 meters in front of the animal and then continue paddling to get an idea of the situation.” If you then observe that he doesn’t breathe for about 30 minutes, you can be sure that the animal has died.
The whale will then be taken to the German Maritime Museum in Stralsund and autopsied, said the Environment Minister of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Till Backhaus, on Wednesday. The aim is to draw conclusions about the cause of death and the reasons why the whale got lost in the Baltic Sea.
Sources used:
- Telephone conversation with Thilo Maack from Greenpeace
- Telephone call to the Wismar water police
- own reporting