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Now things could become critical, whale researchers fearTime is running! Sinking water could be Timmy's undoing
The image provided by Greenpeace Germany shows the stranded humpback whale off the island of Poel in the Baltic Sea.
picture alliance/dpa/Greenpeace Germany / Florian Manz
Low water levels pose a risk to the organs!
The stranded humpback whale has been lying in the Baltic Sea off the island of Poel near Wismar for three weeks. If the animal doesn't move quickly, a falling water level could be fatal, says a marine biologist.
Is Timmy deliberately running aground?
According to a whale researcher, a weakened whale can actually strand itself if this makes it easier for it to breathe. “You can imagine that he would go to a sandbank in the Baltic Sea to relax,” said marine biologist Boris Culik to the German Press Agency.
Whether the whale floats on the surface or not depends heavily on the buoyancy, explained the researcher, who previously worked at the Geomar Helmholtz Center for Ocean Research in Kiel. If the whale is well fed, it has a thick layer of blubber and floats to the top. If not, it sinks. “So that depends on: When did he last eat? How good is his nutritional status? How thick is the blubber layer? What is his specific gravity compared to the relatively low-buoyancy Baltic Sea water?”
Reading tip: “Calm action” is intended to encourage whale Timmy to continue swimming
The whale initially swam free in Wismar Bay when the water level rose, but then remained on the bottom again for a longer period of time.
In the video: New drama about whale Timmy
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It's high time to take Timmy into deeper water
According to the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH), the water level in the Bay of Lübeck is now 35 to 70 centimeters above normal altitude (NHN), and at night it is between zero and 60 centimeters higher. According to current estimates, the water level on Tuesday should be between 20 centimeters below and 25 centimeters above sea level.
Reading tip: Stranded again or just a break? Drama about whale Timmy
According to Culik, staying in this spot for a long time would pose enormous risks for the whale: “If he's lying comfortably on his stomach on a sandbank with the blowhole sticking out of the top, everything's fine. But if there's 50 centimeters less water, then he develops an incredible weight, which then puts pressure on his internal organs. He has a very weak skeleton compared to us.”
Reading tip: Strong winds with squalls stall the rescue operation for whale Timmy
A whale is completely carried by the water – with 50 centimeters less water, as expected for Wismar Bay around midday tomorrow, it will be very difficult. “Then the organs would be crushed: the lungs, the heart, liver and so on.”
The researcher appealed to the rescue workers on site: “If it is now lying on a sandbank, it is high time to move it away again. The rescuers only have a few hours.”
Sources used: dpa
