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Humpback Whale Rescue Underway Off German Coast
28 Apr
Summary
- Rescue attempt for stranded humpback whale named Timmy commenced Tuesday.
- Two millionaires, one linked to MediaMarkt, are funding the operation.
- Specialists express doubts about the whale's health and rescue success.
An operation to rescue a stranded humpback whale, known to the public as Timmy, commenced Tuesday in shallow waters off Germany's Baltic coast. The plan involves guiding the juvenile whale onto a specialized barge for transport to the North Sea. This privately funded initiative is backed by two millionaires, one with ties to the electronics retail chain MediaMarkt.
Despite the organizers' belief in the whale's fitness for transport, experts from the German Oceanographic Museum have cast doubt on the mission's success. They highlighted the animal's poor health and the significant stress and injury risks associated with the complex operation, including high noise levels within the barge.
Timmy was first spotted approximately one month ago in unusually low-saline waters, indicating disorientation or illness. The whale had repeatedly run aground on sandbanks in the weeks leading up to the rescue attempt. Officials in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania have defended their strategy of minimizing stress, rejecting calls for euthanasia, and are pursuing criminal complaints against those sending threats.
