April 11, 2026, 1:52 p.mApril 11, 2026, 1:52 p.m
According to current findings, the humpback whale stranded off Wismar has no influence on the water quality in the Wismar Bay in the Baltic Sea. As the Ministry of the Environment of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania announced, the dying animal poses no threat to the environment or public health.
Humpback whale Timmy is dying.Image: keystone
“The samples were evaluated and I can say that the whale’s water is of bathing water quality,” said the responsible minister Till Backhaus (SPD) in the press release. Accordingly, no limit values were exceeded. The State Office of Public Health had previously been commissioned to examine the condition of the whale’s water off the island of Poel.
The approximately twelve meter long marine mammal has been lying in the bay off Wismar for over a week. No further rescue attempts are planned due to the whale’s poor health. They now want to “let the animal go in peace,” said Backhaus.
According to experts, the animal is dying. The whale no longer reacts to boats, which, according to Bianca König from the animal protection organization Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC) Germany, is a sign of the dying process. On Saturday morning the animal continued to show signs of life. (dab/sda/dpa)