The humpback whale stranded off the Baltic Sea island of Poel has been bothering Germany for days. Now there is sad news.
April 7, 2026, 5:03 p.mApril 7, 2026, 5:03 p.m
Leon Pollok / t-online
The condition of the humpback whale Timmy, stranded in the Baltic Sea, has continued to deteriorate. On Tuesday morning, experts approached the animal again off the island of Poel, and in the afternoon a panel of experts led by Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania’s Environment Minister Till Backhaus (SPD) informed the public about the results.
Stephanie Gross from the Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research said: “The whale no longer reacts to the boat’s approaches.” The animal accepted the arrival of the experts “stoically” unlike in the past few days.
Timmy isn’t feeling well.Image: keystone
Rescue by catamaran is no longer an option
A rescue of the humpback whale by catamaran, brought into play by Environment Minister Backhaus on Easter Sunday, would be ruled out, said Gross. The ropes by which the animal could be pulled into the North Sea would potentially strip the whale’s skin, which could lead to “high levels of damage” and “increased suffering,” the expert said. “We assume that the animal is not fit for transport.”
It is also ruled out that Timmy will swim free on his own, as marine researcher Burkard Baschek said. The humpback whale is currently lying in a hollow 30 centimeters deep. In order for him to be able to swim freely, the water level would have to be 60 centimeters higher than it is now, says Baschek. But that is not to be expected in the coming days. “The overall constitution and strength are not there. That is out of the question,” said the expert. Even if the animal suddenly ends up in the North Sea, the chances of survival are not high.
Humpback whale Timmy stranded: “Worst Easter phase”
Environment Minister Backhaus spoke of drones and divers who recently took photos of the whale again. Thousands of people were excited about Timmy and turned to the state government with information. There was also some unpleasant news, said Backhaus. “That was the worst Easter phase that I have ever experienced in my life.”
The humpback whale has been lying in the same spot off the island of Poel for almost a week. The stranding around a week ago was the fourth time that the whale became stuck on the Baltic Sea coast. All rescue attempts were stopped on Wednesday. According to experts, the animal will probably die in the bay. Since then, according to the ministry, it has been monitored around the clock and regularly sprayed with water by the fire department.
Sources used:
- Press conference in live stream
- Material from the dpa news agency