Humpback whale Timmy seems to be getting worse.Image: Sea Shepherd
April 12, 2026, 4:31 p.mApril 12, 2026, 4:31 p.m
The humpback whale Timmy, stranded off the island of Poel, is breathing more weakly compared to the past few days. A spokeswoman for the Ministry of the Environment announced that it is also being investigated whether newly observed intermittent breathing could be a sign of imminent death.
There is no evidence of a stabilization of the health condition. Although slight movements of the caudal fin were observed, experts believe that this is not an indication of an improvement in health.
The humpback whale did not respond to a spontaneous mobilization attempt on Saturday, during which the animal’s own whale songs were played underwater. The attempt to encourage the whale to free itself had previously been coordinated with the German Maritime Museum.
The injured humpback whale has been in Wismar Bay since March 31st. The last rescue attempts were stopped on April 1st due to the animal’s health in order to let the whale go in peace, as Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania’s Environment Minister Till Backhaus (SPD) announced. However, due to the strong whale songs in the previous nights, it was decided to try again on Saturday.
On Saturday afternoon, around 150 people formed a human chain in the harbor to demonstrate for the rescue of the marine mammal, a police spokeswoman said. A few hours later, according to police, around 170 people also gathered at Kirchdorf harbor on the island of Poel to advocate for the whale’s rescue. There were also other spontaneous gatherings with the same intention on the island on Saturday – one led to the restricted area.
According to the police, several people entered the restricted area, some of them ran to the bank. After realizing that another attempt to mobilize to save the whale was underway, they left the area again, the Environment Ministry spokeswoman said.
After the incident, the whale watch has now been increased in terms of personnel. A meeting was to take place again on Sunday from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the harbor in Kirchdorf on the island of Poel, according to the police. Around noon there were 80 people on site. (hkl/sda/dpa)