Overview
- Timmy, the humpback near Wismar, moved on Monday as water rose and then halted on another sandbank, complicating rescue work already underway.
- Rescuers prepared air cushions to lift the whale onto a tarp fixed to two pontoons, with a tugboat set to tow it toward the North Sea and possibly the Atlantic.
- Two entrepreneurs are financing the attempt under state oversight, and the regional environment minister said the sponsors bear full responsibility for the outcome.
- Officials describe the whale as severely weakened with a skin disease tied to the Baltic’s low salt water, and Greenpeace warns more handling adds severe stress and that death may be near.
- The saga has drawn intense public attention, with livestreams, beach protests, and a 500‑meter police buffer to keep crowds from adding pressure on the animal.