Overview
- The transport ship with the barge, which set out Sunday morning near Geesthacht, is moving through the Kiel Canal toward Wismar with the whale move penciled in for Tuesday or Wednesday.
- Mecklenburg‑Vorpommern has agreed to tolerate the privately run operation, leaving legal and veterinary responsibility with the initiative for a more than 400‑kilometer tow.
- Crews finished a 100‑plus‑meter trench and placed giant sandbag barriers, and the plan calls for the whale to enter through a stern gate into a water‑filled barge or be eased in with soft slings or a net and a hand winch.
- On Sunday, on‑site vets described the young male as transportable and in relatively good condition for his state, and the team delivered fluids via an endoscope and prepared another blood draw to check organ stress.
- Officials warn the attached tracker does not transmit underwater, and external experts continue to question added stress and coordination as the high‑profile attempt faces tight tidal windows and technical risks.