A barge is on its way across the Kiel Canal to humpback whale Timmy.Image: DPA
April 27, 2026, 10:09April 27, 2026, 10:09
Almost a month ago, the humpback whale stranded off the island of Poel near Wismar. This week, ship technology should enable the live animal to be transported away. A barge that is supposed to take in the large marine mammal and its water reached the Kiel Canal from the Elbe on its way to Wismar Bay by late Sunday afternoon. Pushed by the push boat “Hans”, the so-called barge arrived in Kiel on Monday night.
After some further technical preparations on the barge, a so-called barge, which is to take place in Wismar, the actual removal of the whale was planned for Tuesday at the earliest.
The barge that is supposed to transport Timmy away is pushed by the push boat “Hans”.Image: DPA
Great hope if the level rises
Since the private initiative’s rescue efforts began in mid-April, there have been repeated delays and changes in plans – among other things because the whale started moving on its own a week ago after the water level rose, but later got stuck again.
Since then, the private initiative team has ensured that the animal lies deeper in the water even at lower water levels, and has dredged, vacuumed and rinsed a channel up to the deeper channel.
The whale is to be guided through the more than 100 meter long channel into the lowerable barge. The steel basin will then be pulled by a tugboat and launched into the North Sea, more than 400 kilometers away.
Politicians in close contact
On Sunday work was done again on the channel and the condition of the whale was checked. Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania’s Environment Minister Till Backhaus (SPD) also got into the water and got up close and personal. “Hope dies last,” he said on Sunday. “I hope that this mission will end at some point, as soon as possible, and with success.”
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania’s Environment Minister Till Backhaus climbed into the water with Timmy.Image: DPA
According to Backhaus, the bull whale, which was around four to six years old, was first seen in the Baltic Sea at the beginning of March: on March 3rd it appeared in the harbor of Wismar; later he was stuck further west off Timmendorfer Strand (Schleswig-Holstein). In the more than 50 days since then he has been in shallow water zones for well over half of the time. Experts suspect that he may have specifically visited her again and again because he was seriously ill and was looking for peace. (hkl/sda/dpa)