Stranded Baltic Sea whale finally free, but shaking continuesExpert at RTL: This is what Timmy has to do now to survive

Whale Timmy now has to orientate himself quickly

For Dr. Olaf Meynecke is clear: The most critical phase now begins. The whale has to orient itself – and quickly. “As far as orientation is concerned, you can really see what he’s doing in the next two or three days.” The expert hopes he will swim west. “Then we know that he is really oriented.” Only a clear course towards the Atlantic gives hope. Anything else could put the weakened giant in danger again.

Problematic: There was no station data until Saturday afternoon. For the time being, no information can be given about the whale's swimming direction, said the lawyer for the private initiative to transport the whale, Constanze von der Meden, to the German Press Agency this morning. What specific problems there were initially remained unclear. According to a media report, the tracker on the animal initially did not start.

Basically, Dr. Meynecke said that the station “may last two weeks and at least in the next few days you can see which direction it is taking.” Just a few days of data can be crucial. Because they show whether the whale knows where it is swimming – or whether it has lost its orientation.

The general public will not be able to follow the path of the giant marine mammal: the information about where the whale is will only be made available to the team members of the private initiative and the Ministry of the Environment of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.

Good signs – but also big risks

After all: the first pictures give hope. “What we saw in the pictures was a strong exhalation and also a strong swim. I think he really just wanted to get away and that's a good sign.” But therein lies a risk. The animal lay motionless for weeks – now the body suddenly has to perform at its best again.

“There is a risk that toxins will be released and that overuse will occur.” The burden is enormous. Nobody knows how weakened the whale really is. He lost a lot of strength due to the exertion. At the same time, a phase is actually beginning in which he hardly eats any food and lives on his reserves.
This is precisely why it is crucial whether he can quickly find his way back to his usual routes – only then will he have the chance to eat enough food in a timely manner and replenish his energy reserves.

For Dr. For Olaf Meynecke, the movement pattern is the key. “If the movement patterns are straight, then it's also called orientation. That means the whale knows where it wants to go.” Things look completely different when it comes to restless behavior: “As soon as you see a zigzag pattern and the whale stays on the surface for a long time, those are actually not such good signs.”

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50 percent chance of survival for Timmy

Despite all the worries, there are also positive developments. During the rescue, the animal was able to get used to the new water. The water was constantly replaced – the whale was able to remember the taste of the North Sea again. For Dr. Olaf Meynecke an important point. Orientation in whales also depends on senses such as taste. A detail that could help now.

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In the end, a cautious forecast remains. “If he swims westwards in a relatively straight line over the next few days, then you could say that there is a 50/50 chance of survival.” One thing is certain: every hour counts now. If the whale maintains strength, finds the right direction, and doesn't come close to shore again, there is real hope.

If he manages to pass this critical phase, he could recover and even find his way back to his fellow animals. A scenario that would be a huge success for everyone involved.

Sources used: own RTL research, dpa