The most famous swimming mammal of the moment, humpback whale Timmy, has completed its first day after its rescue mission. After a big relief for the rescuers when he was released, both literally and figuratively, he swam in the right direction. Now, however, they have lost track of Timmy and there is even an argument about his release.
After a long rescue mission to get Timmy back into the open sea from the German coast, the time had finally come yesterday. The humpback whale was then finally allowed to leave his ship. He swam next to the tugboat for a while, surfaced briefly to spray a water fountain and then swam away. The humpback whale is equipped with a tracker so that it can be followed closely.
Argument over release
However, a dispute has now arisen about the method of release, the German newspaper reports Image. There is a conflict between the funders of the rescue operation and veterinarians on the one hand and the crew on the rescue ships on the other.
The two main backers of the rescue, German entrepreneurs Walter Gunz and Karin Walter-Mommert, say the agreement was for veterinarians to be on the ship with Timmy when he was released. This turned out not to be the case.
In addition, the doctors would have preferred to transport him a few kilometers further towards the Atlantic Ocean. However, the captain is said to have given the order for his release earlier.
Swam the right way
Fortunately, in the end it turned out that Timmy was swimming in the right direction; this could still be seen on drone images. When he was out of sight, it turned out that something was not going quite right. After several hours, his tracker still didn’t work. “We are waiting until we receive information,” said Karin Walter-Mommert, the initiator of the rescue operation.
Then a signal came, about seven hours after the humpback whale regained its freedom and continued swimming in the open sea. He then went in the right direction.
Radio silence
However, then it fell silent again. The German newspaper Image reports that Timmy’s location is unclear at this time. It is not yet known why the humpback whale’s tracker is malfunctioning. It is speculated that the transmitter may have been damaged when Timmy was released from his tank.
Timmy tourism
Information about Timmy’s location will only come through the rescue service and the environment ministry of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The general public cannot follow the movements of the humpback whale live. This was a conscious decision, probably to avoid ‘Timmy tourism’ at sea.
Furthermore, there are no indications that Timmy is not doing well and it is assumed that he is swimming in the right direction. He had a good start, and even the weather was favorable: the humpback enjoyed pleasant weather and calm waters. In order to gain strength, experts say it is important that it reaches the Atlantic Ocean, where more of its kind also live.
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