Multimillionaires join together in an effort to save beached whales in Germany – National
A group of wealthy German people have raised money in a last-ditch effort to save a whale stranded on the country's northern coast.
The 12-ton mammal, nicknamed “Timmy” by many local media, was first spotted in the Baltic Sea near Timmendorfer Strand, far from its natural habitat, in early March and has been stranded in shallow waters ever since.
Since he was first seen, Timmy has been trapped many times in different places and was freed with the help of people, but he has been in danger again and is now fighting for his life, rescuers said.
“It is fragile, and there is little chance of survival,” said Sea Shepherd Germany, a marine conservation company.
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There were plans to try to move the whale safely to the bottom of the sea using a tarp and a tugboat, according to BBC reports, but experts warned that this method could harm the already fragile creature.
The second operation, which will use air cushions to float the whale back to the surface so it can be towed into deeper water and back towards the Atlantic, is being funded by two millionaires who are stepping forward to restore the 11th hour rescue operation, The Guardian reports.
One of the contributors is Walter Gunz, founder of an electronics store, who told the German news agency dpa that if rescuers do nothing now, the whale could die. “At least if you try something, you have a chance to save it,” he said.
German outlets have been broadcasting live footage of Timmy's ongoing rescue efforts, including what has been dubbed “Operation Cushion,” which began when a team of rescuers paddled toward the whale to try to dislodge the mud that had trapped his fins. The trick is to then slide the inflatable pads under Timmy to lift him up onto the tarp attached to the tug boat.
State officials have approved an independent move to transport the whale back to the North Sea and, possibly, to the Atlantic. If all goes according to plan, the boat carrying Timmy will be out of the Baltic Sea on Friday.
“He's not working, and he's not fast, but he's showing that there's still life in him,” said Till Backhaus, the environment minister of Mecklenburg-Pomerania state, where Wismar is located, on Wednesday as he announced the new rescue plan. “He was definitely seriously injured, that's for sure.”
It is reported that the whale swam in the Baltic Sea last month in search of food and has several wounds on its back, a British newspaper reported.
Online newspapers pushed for warnings about little progress about Timmy's health, including updates on his bad skin condition, related to the low salt content of the Baltic Sea.
The international environmental organization Greenpeace condemned the rescue efforts, saying in a statement, “We are now focusing our efforts on promoting the protection of the ocean, including as a habitat for whales,” before adding that the chances of the animal's survival were very low and that the current work posed a high risk of harm to the mammal.
A 67-year-old woman jumped into a boat over the weekend to get close to the whale before being stopped, the Associated Press reported.
– Via files from the Associated Press
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