It is currently unclear whether “Timmy” glides so elegantly through the water (symbolic image).Image: Shutterstock
May 3, 2026, 8:28 p.mMay 3, 2026, 8:28 p.m
The humpback whale, which had been stranded several times on the Baltic coast, was released into the sea at the weekend. Where he is is unclear: Unlike planned, the GPS transmitter does not provide any location data, said Karin Walter-Mommert, a donor to the private initiative behind the transport. This would mean it remains unknown whether and in which direction the animal swims. There are at least vital signs transmitted by the transmitter, which means the whale is alive, said Walter-Mommert. The information could not initially be verified by independent sources.
If the weakened animal were to drown, a GPS transmitter would no longer provide location data anyway: Such transmitters usually only transmit their location when the animal in question is on the surface of the water. Experts from animal protection organizations unanimously assessed the whale’s long-term survival chances as very low.
In the event of death, the carcass would probably not float to the surface of the water, despite the gases produced during decomposition, because the water pressure prevents this in deeper waters. If the animal has previously swum near the coast again, it could wash up there.
Dispute over the removal of the whale
Both large ships in the transport convoy – “Fortuna B” and “Robin Hood” – were no longer in the Skagerrak on Sunday, where the whale was dropped off the day before, about 70 kilometers from Skagen. Information about the animal’s condition at this time and the exact course of the release were not known, and there were no publicly available images or videos.
Why? Many people who have been following the drama surrounding the whale for weeks have been asking themselves this question since then. Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania’s Environment Minister Till Backhaus explained in a statement to the livestream provider News5 that it had been agreed with the initiative that a video system would be installed on the barge so that appointed veterinarians could continue to observe the whale – but this did not happen.
Members of the private initiative’s team referred to their financiers, Walter Mommert and Mediamarkt founder Walter Gunz, for information about the release, who appeared noticeably angry: In a statement, both “expressly distanced themselves from the events and the manner in which Wales was suspended.” The initiative was not involved in the release and did not actively support it. Rather, crew members of the ships booked dropped off the whale.
Different information about what happened
Of the initiative’s team, only Jeffrey Foster from the Whale Sanctuary Project in the USA was on board the barge when the whale entered the water. Foster, who, among other things, was involved in the failed release of the orca “Keiko” (“Free Willy”), told the German Press Agency that his team members were not allowed onto the barge again that morning. That’s why the whale’s health could not be checked again – as actually planned.
What exactly was done to the twelve-meter-long, severely weakened humpback whale to get him off board and how seriously he might have been injured remained unclear. The day before there had been footage that showed the whale with a rope attached to its fluke – the fact that it was supposed to be pulled out like that and was pulled out the next day could not be confirmed by an independent source.
Such an approach would be against all expertise, said whale researcher and marine biologist Fabian Ritter. “The number one rule with stranded whales is to never, ever tug on their flukes in any way.” The tail fin is only connected to the rest of the body via connective tissue and muscles, so there is a risk of serious injuries.
The management company of the escort ship “Robin Hood” said in a letter that the release was successful and had been carried out in coordination with Foster, taking into account in particular the safety of the ship and the well-being of the whale. The animal had previously repeatedly hit the walls of the barge due to the swell. There is also talk of “many risky maneuvers” during transport.
Despite being rocked, the animal remained in the barge
There had been strong waves in the region for many hours, and the whale was rocking back and forth in the barge. Although the barrier net was ultimately removed on Friday afternoon, the animal remained in the barge and, according to the available drone images, was mostly lying in a corner. “It gave me the impression that the whale was still so exhausted that it was simply no longer capable of strong reactions,” explained Ritter.
On Saturday morning, a whale could briefly be seen swimming in the water on drone images from the live stream provider News5 – it was not possible to say with certainty whether it was actually the animal that had been released. The humpback whale was released in one of Europe’s busiest shipping routes, said Thilo Maack from the nature conservation organization Greenpeace.
Will we ever know his fate?
The four to six year old bull whale was first seen in the Baltic Sea at the beginning of March. In the approximately 60 days leading up to the transport, it was in shallow water areas for around two thirds of the time, most recently off the island of Poel. On Tuesday he was maneuvered into a barge, which was then coupled to a tugboat and set off towards the North Sea.
The animal protection organization Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC) emphasized: “We can only speak of a rescue when the whale is back in the North Atlantic and survives there in the long term; his skin has completely recovered; he goes looking for food independently again and gains weight; and follows its natural behavior.”
Without location data from the GPS transmitter, the whale’s fate now risks remaining unknown, possibly forever. (sda/dpa)