Rescuers in northern Germany on Tuesday coaxed a stranded humpback whale known as “Timmy” toward a specially converted freight barge intended to guide the animal back to the Atlantic Ocean. The whale is believed to have lost its way in early March after entering the Baltic Sea.
Timmy has been stuck in various locations for more than a month and spent the last few weeks in a small bay off the island of Poel. Hopes for its survival had faded at one point, but a private company persuaded local authorities to attempt a last-ditch effort using the barge to steer the sick animal back toward deeper waters.
After several hours, crews encouraged the whale to swim a short distance into position and into a submerged storage area inside the barge early on Tuesday afternoon. Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania environment minister Till Backhaus said that “when the sea calms, he will begin his journey in the direction of the North Sea — and then he will return to his natural habitat.” The plan is to use the “Robin Hood” barge and the larger tug “Fortuna B” to guide the whale toward the North Sea or possibly further toward the Atlantic. In recent weeks the mammal repeatedly moved only short distances before beaching again in the shallow Baltic waters.
Rescuers used ropes to encourage Timmy toward the waiting transport vessel. Backhaus, who has been heavily involved in the operation, said he nearly “jumped into the water to help him along on the last few meters.” He defended continuing the rescue despite criticism from some animal rights and marine groups that the whale was near death, saying, “We worked day and night here, together — and in the end we have saved this creature.” Critics have accused him of seeking the limelight after initially preparing for the whale to die and then authorizing a private operation.
Veterinary experts remain cautious about Timmy’s chances. It is unclear how the whale will cope with movement and whether it can recover from illnesses contracted during weeks in lower-salinity Baltic waters. Vet Kirsten Tönnies, who stepped in when the lead veterinary officer fell ill, said she was “just the spare wheel here, without whale expertise,” but noted the whale was enticed into the barge without excessive force and that she had not advised stopping the operation for safety reasons. In her view the whale was “in no way a doomed animal” and still had a chance to recover.
The animal has often been partly exposed to hot sun while trapped off the northern German coast. The outcome of the transport and the whale’s ability to survive the journey remain uncertain.
Edited by: Srinivas Mazumdaru