The animal, which is lying in the bay of Wismar, is experiencing breathing difficulties among other problems.
Options for rescuing the bowhead whale Timmy, that is, freeing it with human and technical assistance and bringing it back out to open water, have been definitively ruled out by experts and authorities. Part of the reason for this decision is that its state of health has likely been poor for some time. The fact that the whale ran aground more than once is a likely indicator of this.
The Schleswig-Holstein government explains that there is insufficient reference data and experience to consider euthanasia, hence why the whale shall now be left alone to die in peace. The case has attracted considerable attention and sparked debate in recent weeks. Calls for rescue attempts and criticism of the authorities came above all from private individuals and organisations.
