BERLIN – A complex rescue operation launched Tuesday to save a young humpback whale that has been trapped in Germany’s shallow Baltic Sea waters for nearly a month, sparking weeks of heated public discussion about how best to help the marine mammal locals have dubbed Timmy.
The juvenile male whale will be directed through a specially-excavated channel onto a ship-transport barge filled with water before being taken to the North Sea, according to organizers of the privately-funded rescue effort reported by regional media outlets.
Rescue coordinators believe the whale is healthy enough for transport, but marine biology experts from the German Oceanographic Museum have expressed serious concerns about the plan.
“The chances of a successful rescue are very slim due to the animal’s poor state of health and the generally poor prognosis,” the museum stated.
The rescue attempt would subject the whale to “great deal of stress and a high risk of injury” and “would result in very high noise levels inside the barge due to the high level of sound reflection,” museum officials warned.
Two wealthy individuals are financing the rescue mission, including one person connected to the German electronics retailer MediaMarkt. The total cost of the operation remains undisclosed.
Constanze von der Meden, serving as a spokesperson for the rescue team, has not responded to media inquiries.
The whale earned its nickname from nearby Timmendorfer beach, close to the Baltic island where it became stranded. Marine biologists first observed the animal approximately four weeks ago swimming in low-salt waters that whales typically avoid, suggesting the creature was either sick or confused about its location.
Since then, the whale has repeatedly become stuck on underwater sand formations.
Government officials in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania have defended their approach of reducing the animal’s stress levels while dismissing public demands to euthanize the whale to prevent further suffering.
Thousands of concerned citizens have contacted authorities through email, with some messages containing death threats against officials. State Environment Minister Till Backhaus announced that criminal charges will be pursued when appropriate.
Animal rights advocates and other interested parties have established temporary camps near the rescue location.
Humpback whales were once hunted nearly to extinction but have made a significant recovery, with the species now considered at low risk of disappearing, though two specific populations remain endangered.
