An eventful day for a stranded humpback whale off Germany’s Baltic Sea coast ended with cautious hope on Monday, after the animal began swimming again, came to a stop in shallow water and later managed to edge closer to a deeper fairway.
The whale, a roughly 12-metre-long male nicknamed Timmy, has gripped national attention since becoming trapped in Wismar Bay near the island of Poel around three weeks ago.
Multiple attempts to free the animal had failed and hopes for its survival were fading, until it suddenly began moving on Monday morning, aided by rising water levels and strengthening winds.
However, about two hours later, livestreams showed Timmy had stopped again in shallow water near the mouth of the bay.
By evening, the animal had moved under its own power to within a few metres of the fairway, before coming to rest again at dusk. Helpers had earlier blown silt away from beneath the whale to make it easier for it to move.
Rescuers still hope the whale can reach deeper water and find his way out of the bay, but it was a race against time, with water levels expected to fall during the night.
Regional Environment Minister Till Backhaus said he planned to spend the night at the scene aboard a fisheries inspection boat, using a night-vision device to monitor developments.
He said there would be little chance of sleep, adding that he had barely slept in recent weeks.
Officials are also hoping to attach a tracking device to monitor the whale if it reaches deeper waters. Similar plans had previously been shelved due to concerns over the condition of its diseased skin.
Observers speculated that the whale might be looking to stay near the coast, as it is believed to have been severely weakened by the weeks-long ordeal.
Another theory is that the sick whale has become disoriented and is unable to find his way back to the open sea.
Businesswoman Karin Walter-Mommer, who co-funded a private rescue initiative launched last week, said efforts were ongoing to get the whale moving again.
A spokesman for Greenpeace warned that the situation is likely causing significant stress to the animal, citing the constant activity of rescue teams and the noise from motorboats.
Difficult path ahead
After beginning his unexpected journey on Monday, Timmy changed course several times, as the boats tried to steer the animal out of the shallow waters.
Timmy is now in the Kirchsee, a bay that is part of the larger Bay of Wismar and its mouth is very shallow in places, a spokesman for the local Environment Ministry said.
While the fairway is around 2.5 to 3 metres deep, Kirchsee bay is only between 0.9 and 1.1 metres deep, the spokesman said, adding that the whale will have to follow an arch-shaped path in order to get out without getting stuck again.
Once the whale reaches the adjoining Bay of Wismar, which connects to the Baltic Sea, it will be much easier for the animal to swim free as the fairway there is significantly deeper, at least 9 metres, according to the spokesman.
Timmy has been stranded in Wismar Bay since March 31, after already attracting attention for getting stuck multiple times in the preceding weeks at various points on the Baltic coast.
Rescue boats from Germany’s DLRG life-saving association had been on standby to guide the whale towards the North Sea and then across it into the Atlantic.
Authorities in the north-eastern region of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern had authorized a last-ditch private rescue mission last Wednesday after several attempts by government-backed rescuers failed to free the animal, with fears rising that it might perish off the German coast.
The original plan was to slide a tarpaulin attached between floating pontoons under the whale, lift it out of the shallow area and later move it towards the North Sea.
Among those behind the latest initiative is businessman Walter Gunz, co-founder of MediaMarkt, a popular consumer electronics chain.
The saga to free Timmy has garnered massive media attention in Germany, with several media outlets streaming 24/7 live video of the animal’s whereabouts.
