Timmy in distress: A humpback whale in the wrong area

A humpback whale beached off Niendorf on the Baltic Sea. Not an everyday occurrence, but not entirely unusual either. It generates an enormous media response. Timm Kruse, freelance journalist and host of the YACHT podcast, followed the fate of the humpback whale for days and reported on it on ZDF. His personal view of a sad animal fate and the worldwide hype it caused.

From Timm Kruse

A whale called Timmy

The fact that the whale is now called Timmy - in reference to its stranding on Timmendorfer Strand - is somewhat ironic. Previously, only dogs were called Timmy - but never mind. The fact that the humpback whale is not an endangered species also demonstrates a certain insanity surrounding the worldwide hype surrounding the mammal. The fact that Norway and Iceland continue to hunt whales on an industrial scale is another matter. That's not the point now. This is about this one animal that is visibly in distress.

The whale is first sighted in Wismar at the beginning of March. It then appears in the Flensburg Fjord and later in the Bay of Lübeck. When it runs aground off Niendorf near Timmendorfer Strand on 23 March, an uncontrollable dynamic begins. From now on, we plan, measure, observe and hope.

The first rescue attempt

On the fourth day of his stranding, 26 March, a major rescue attempt is launched. Dozens of cameras are set up on the beach. The microphone operators speak French, English, Italian, Russian and, of course, German. The whale is only about 50 metres from the shore and is clearly visible. Its back sticks out of the shallow water like a grey rock. Estimates are now circulating: twelve to 15 metres long, weighing around 15 tonnes and still young.

From time to time, the whale emits fountains of water and makes plaintive noises. There is also a low humming sound - almost like the noise of an engine. Nobody really knows what it all means. But everyone has an opinion.

Four excavators are used. The idea is to excavate a channel through which the whale could reach deeper water if the water level is high enough. Because you can't just pull it out. It is too heavy for that and the risk of injury is too high. Feeding would not help either, as this whale species can only eat by swimming, which gets caught in its baleen and can only then be ingested.

A large number of helpers stand ready behind construction fences: Fire brigade, police, sea rescue, regulatory authorities, vets, wildlife researchers and animal welfare groups. There are also people who want to get involved on their own initiative.

Up close to the stranded animal

Among them is an animal rights activist with a wide social media reach, who turns up in a camouflage diving suit. He reports that he has already had contact with the animal. According to his account, the whale reacted to being approached, showed the will to live, but appeared fearful and trembling. He also commented on the possible sex: there is some evidence to suggest that it is a male, because females tend to stay in more protected areas with their offspring, while males take greater risks. In doing so, he charges the animal with both biological and narrative significance. No - he was not able to see a penis. Although it is two to three metres long when aroused. But of course the animal is anything but aroused at the moment.

The whale probably came from the north-east Atlantic. Perhaps it followed its urge to explore, perhaps the noise of ships, perhaps simply the food. In any case, it reached the Baltic Sea via the strait between Denmark and Sweden - and thus an inland sea that is problematic for a humpback whale: the risk of stranding is high, and the low salt content of the water permanently damages the skin. In addition, the oxygen content of the Baltic Sea is too low due to over-fertilisation, among other things, fish stocks have declined and large numbers of nets lie in the water or as lost waste on the seabed as so-called ghost nets.

Timmy's body is also covered in the remains of cords and nets. At least the helpers manage to remove some of them. However, a rope is still sticking out of his mouth. It could be that there are even more ropes and pieces of net in his body, further weakening him. The activist uses this observation to send a warning message: anyone who eats fish is indirectly responsible for exactly this kind of situation. Of course, everyone on the beach is now asking questions about consumption, environmental destruction and human co-responsibility. Afterwards, many reporters grab a fish sandwich - including me.

As a sailor, do you have to fear ramming the humpback whale when it comes free again?

Rather not. An animal of this size is not a drifting wreck, but can usually be spotted in good time. Nevertheless, in the Bay of Lübeck and neighbouring areas, special lookouts are now mandatory - out of navigational care and out of respect for a weakened marine mammal that has no business in the Baltic Sea.

Emotion and harsh reality

The animal triggers something that goes beyond mere curiosity. Whales are symbols of size, gentleness and mystery; they are seen as social creatures with bonds, sound systems and complex behaviour. In the face of global crises and wars, the whale provides at least one reason for hope: the whale becomes a projection screen for compassion, the search for meaning and the desire to be able to help somewhere effectively. Almost as if the rescue of this whale could at least for a moment neutralise the experience of human guilt and helplessness.

But nature follows different rules. The whale's condition is already poor off Niendorf. Seagulls peck at its body, threatening wounds and possibly infections. But the animal can hardly be examined. It lies mostly in the water, its fat layer is enormous, blood samples are impossible.

Free - and yet trapped

The next morning - the miracle: the whale has disappeared. There is much to suggest that the rising water level during the night helped him to get free again. But a short time later he is discovered again. Two Greenpeace boats follow it, along with the coastguard, which is coordinating the operation. The aim is now to guide the whale northwards so that it can eventually find its way back into the North Sea and the Atlantic. When it surfaces, the boats reorganise themselves. When it dives, they wait in silence with their engines switched off for its next appearance. If it swims in the wrong direction, the helpers try to divert it with manoeuvres and noise. Activists even hit their own boat with paddles to drive it acoustically - almost as if they were trying to steer a herd of dogs.

But Timmy doesn't follow a human rescue plan. He swims zigzagging for hours, repeatedly approaching dangerously shallow water, and nobody can say why. At the end of the day, he is once again left to his own devices. It moves eastwards, exactly in the unwanted direction, and later becomes stranded again - first at a small island with the telling name "Walfisch", then again near Wismar. This only shifts the whole helplessness to another part of the coast. The whale lies as a dark stripe in the water.

Hoping for a miracle

At midday, a panel of experts appears before the press: an oceanographer, a veterinarian, an environment minister and a marine biologist. The statements are sobering. The whale's condition had deteriorated significantly. It hardly reacts to boats any more. An exclusion zone of 500 metres should give it peace and quiet. Thorny questions arise: Is there any scientific evidence that humpback whales are deliberately swimming close to shore to die? The marine biologist denies this. Could it be that the whale doesn't want to be saved at all - or at least not in the way that humans imagine? Shouldn't the whale then be freed from its agony? However, those responsible categorically reject the idea of killing the animal - for practical reasons alone. There was neither a syringe that could penetrate the thick skin nor a weapon that could safely kill such a large animal with a single shot. Nobody wants to imagine blowing its head off. In the meantime, everyone has to admit to themselves: Neither rescue nor redemption seem realistically manageable.

After several days, the whale actually sets off again - but once more in the wrong direction. So the big rescue remains open at the end, and the miracle that everyone is hoping for may or may not materialise.