Another rescue operation for whale Timmy started on Thursday.Image: www.imago-images.de
April 17, 2026, 06:58April 17, 2026, 06:58
Will the privately organized rescue operation for the humpback whale stranded off the island of Poel be successful? There is probably no quick clarity on this. Preparations, including a careful external examination, were interrupted yesterday afternoon to allow the animal to rest. That’s happening today.
How should things continue now?
A convoy of several trucks brought material to the small port of Kirchdorf on the island of Poel on Thursday. Below there are two pontoons that will play an important role in the project. Details of the action are not known. What is clear, however, is that the helpers want to try to lift the animal, which weighs several tons, with air cushions. Because the humpback whale has been stuck on the bottom for more than two weeks, the seabed beneath it must first be washed away.
The whale should then be stored on a tarpaulin between two pontoons. If all goes well, a tugboat can begin pulling the delicate cargo into the deeper Baltic Sea and then through Kattegat and Skagerrak into the North Sea and then into the Atlantic. In the best case scenario, the animal could be released into the wild there.
Whale Timmy is to be taken to the North Sea.Image: keystone
How is the animal?
All experts assume that the whale is severely weakened and seriously ill. A whale expert and two veterinary technicians carefully contacted him on Thursday and found that he responded to being spoken to, the rescue operation’s spokeswoman said. His blowpipe was intact and there were no signs of inflammation. The marine mammal does not show any excitement.
Who is behind the operation?
Behind the rescue attempt is a private initiative led by Mediamarkt founder Walter Gunz and entrepreneur Karin Walter-Mommert, who is known from equestrian sports. They finance and organize the campaign with the consent of the authorities in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.
Timmy’s fate moves Germany.Image: keystone
What do other experts say?
Marine biologist Boris Culik commented positively on the rescue attempt. He considers the measures planned to be very promising, said Culik, who previously worked at the Geomar Helmholtz Center for Ocean Research in Kiel. The marine biologist said it was uncertain whether the whale would survive. Because the main problem – the net in its mouth – remains. Culik said: “If you don’t free him from this, how will he feed himself and regain his strength?”
The environmental organization Greenpeace is not taking part in the planned rescue operation because, according to available information, the whale is sick and severely weakened, according to a spokeswoman. (dab/sda/dpa)