For a while it seemed sealed: Timmy the whale was to spend his last hours in peace and without the stress of rescue operations. But now the tide is turning once again. In the past few days, a private initiative has come forward with a new idea for a rescue attempt.
The rescue operation for the whale stranded off the Baltic Sea island of Poel has now begun. A convoy of lorries arrived on Thursday (16 April) at the harbour carrying mobile cranes, large floating pontoons and pipes.
The operation is being organised by a private initiative, after previous attempts by the Ministry of the Environment temporarily freed the whale but it then failed to find its way back to the North Sea.
Without intervention, the whale has no chance of survival, Walter Gunz, one of the organisers, told the German news agency dpa. "If something is done, there is at least a chance of saving it."
Spectacular rescue attempt planned
"I looked him in the eye," said Environment Minister Till Backhaus in a recent interview with Der Spiegel. "I've been following this whale since the third of March."
Many Germans have also been following the fate of Timmy the whale for weeks.
The animal, which is several metres long and probably weighs around 12 tonnes, is to be draped on two air cushions and a tarpaulin. The whale is then to be pulled back into deeper water between two floating platforms. An escort with a tugboat into the Atlantic is currently not ruled out.
The rescue measures had previously been cancelled - now the Ministry of the Environment has reviewed the initiative's plan and Backhaus has agreed to it. Activists had previously filed a complaint against him on suspicion of "failure to provide assistance".
Condition of Timmy the whale unclear
The private initiative even flew in a vet from Hawaii, who is now assisting the rescue team.
Timmy the whale has been lying off the island of Poel for almost two weeks. His skin has been damaged by the long stay in atypical waters; the salt content in the Baltic Sea is much lower than in his usual habitat.
Experts are critical of the operation. The marine biologist Boris Culik had previously pointed out net remnants in the animal's mouth. These would have to be removed, for which the whale would have to open its mouth. Otherwise, the whale would not be able to feed and would not be able to recover.
In this case, transporting the whale to other waters would simply mean relocating a dying animal.
