The rescue proposal, put forward by two businesspeople, includes lifting the whale with inflatable airbags and moving it using pontoons.
On Thursday, rescuers in Germany halted a complex mission aimed at saving ailing humpback whale which had been repeatedly stranded around the Baltic Sea coast, capturing nationwide attention over several weeks.
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Known as Timmy by the local press, the whale rests in shallow waters near the eastern German town of Wismar, hardly moving for several days. There are growing concerns that it may die soon.
Specialists developed a detailed plan to elevate the animal using air cushions onto a tarp, which would be secured to two pontoons connected to a tugboat.
This plan was initially scheduled for Thursday but has been postponed to Friday.
«Regrettably, time was lost this morning,» stated a representative for the rescue team to Bild newspaper, without sharing additional information.
The apparatus setup will occur on Thursday, whereas the actual rescue work is scheduled to start on Friday.
This decision follows German officials’ approval on Wednesday of a final effort to save Timmy.
The rescue strategy, designed by two entrepreneurs, includes lifting the whale with inflatable cushions and transporting it using pontoons, explained Till Backhaus, environment minister for Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.
«It has been decided that rescuing the whale while it is still alive is possible. This creates, for the first time, an opportunity to return the animal to its natural habitat,» Backhaus stated.
Two weeks ago, local authorities declared the whale beyond rescue after it became stranded near Poel island, close to Wismar.
At that point, the 13.5-metre whale had been struggling along Germany’s Baltic coast for over a week, first observed stuck on a sandbank on 23 March near Lübeck.
The animal repeatedly became trapped and freed itself several times, with experts initially hopeful it might navigate back to the Atlantic Ocean.
However, on 1 April, regional authorities confirmed their belief that the seriously wounded and distressed whale was unlikely to survive and could no longer be saved.
The whale’s ongoing battle and rescue efforts have captivated the German public, with media dubbing it «Timmy.»
Supporters have organized regular protests advocating for renewed rescue attempts, while some online activists have directed threats toward officials.
Earlier proposals involving a catamaran were dismissed because experts concluded the whale would likely not survive such methods.
One of the entrepreneurs behind this new rescue plan is Walter Gunz, the founder of the MediaMarkt electronics retail chain.
Backhaus noted that there is now a «possibility» for the whale, although it remains «in a serious state» and «critically ill.»
«The outlook remains grave, that is undeniable. Nevertheless, there is now a strategy,» he said.
Additional sources • AP, AFP