A storm has been approaching over the Baltic Sea since Monday, meteorologists expect waves of 2.5 to three meters high. The storm drives the water into the bay and the level rises sharply. This prevented a planned whale rescue funded by billionaire Walter Gunz and entrepreneur and horse breeder Karin Walter-Mommert to save the humpback whale.
Due to the storm, it was not possible to attach special pontoons to the sail, on which the whale would be pulled using tugboats from the bay, said Walter Gunz.
But that wasn’t necessary either. It was probably thanks to the sharply rising water level that the whale freed itself. Nevertheless, lifeboats will remain on standby. “It is so that we can guide her to the North Sea and then further to the Atlantic,” said Constanze von der Medenová from the rescue team for the weekly Focus.
Humpback whales are usually found in the Atlantic Ocean. But the whale nicknamed Timmy has been sailing in the Baltic Sea since the beginning of March. On the night of March 23, she ran aground for the first time near the town of Timmendorfer Strand near Lübeck. With human help, she managed to break free and sail into deeper waters. Shortly afterwards, however, she got stuck again, this time near Wismar. Thanks to the rise in sea level, she was able to sail away for the second time.
For the third time, a humpback whale got stuck on March 31 on a sandbar near the island of Poel near Wismar. From there, the whale could not save itself. It has been lying in the same place for more than two weeks. The authorities gave up efforts to rescue the animal, but a private initiative tried to rescue it. It is unclear what Timmy’s current health is.
