Walter Gunz, the primary funder of the effort to refloat a stranded humpback whale in the Baltic Sea, told BILD that he will continue financing the rescue operation despite internal team conflicts and public criticism, insisting the mission will proceed until the whale either survives or dies.
The whale, nicknamed Timmy, has remained trapped in shallow water near Wismar for three weeks, with a privately funded team attempting to guide it back to open waters ahead of a renewed rescue attempt scheduled for as early as Sunday.
Gunz acknowledged that the team’s initial failure to align on priorities hampered early efforts, saying the only mistake made was not ensuring the crew stayed focused on the whale instead of becoming distracted by personal disagreements in the public eye.
He added that due to the short timeframe, there had been no opportunity to properly coordinate the team in advance, but emphasized that maintaining a positive outlook is essential for such high-stakes operations.
According to WEB.DE, the rescue initiative brings together a diverse group of individuals, including a Mediamarkt founder, a horse farm owner, and several figures with known sympathies toward the AfD, such as TikTok personality Danny Hilse, who has previously organized protests linked to far-right movements and Reichsbürger networks.
Veterinarian Kirsten Tönnies closed her Hessen-based compact animal practice temporarily to join the effort, citing her background in wildlife care, though she admitted she lacks direct experience with whales, noting her expertise lies primarily in medication management.
Janine Bahr-van Gemmert, a seal center director from Föhr and core member of the rescue team, was airlifted to hospital after a medical emergency early in the week and remains in a coma, with her colleagues describing her condition as still serious and organizing a private donation drive in her support.
Also involved is Sergio Bambaren, a Peruvian-born former multinational CEO and spiritual marine author who serves as an ambassador for Dolphin Aid, an organization promoting swim-with-dolphins programs.
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern’s environment minister, Till Backhaus of the SPD, has permitted the private operation to proceed, even though official institutions like the German Maritime Museum are not participating in the effort.
The sources do not specify the total amount of funding committed to the rescue, nor do they confirm whether any government resources are being used beyond the minister’s tolerance of the private initiative.
The team’s internal struggles delayed early coordination
Gunz told BILD that the crew was never properly aligned before the operation began, which he identified as the initiative’s sole preventable shortcoming, noting that external distractions pulled focus away from the whale’s immediate needs.
Public figures with polarized profiles are driving the private effort
The rescue squad includes individuals from business, alternative medicine, and political activism, creating an unusual coalition where AfD-linked activists work alongside veterinarians and spiritual authors without institutional oversight.
Medical setbacks have struck the volunteer responders themselves
Janine Bahr-van Gemmert’s hospitalization and ongoing coma have shifted part of the team’s focus toward supporting her recovery, illustrating how the mission has taken a physical toll on its participants.
Why is the German Maritime Museum not involved in the rescue?
The sources indicate that Fachleute deutscher Institutionen wie des Deutschen Meeresmuseums are not part of the initiative, though no explanation is given for their absence.
What happens if the whale does not survive the rescue attempt?
Walter Gunz stated that he considers the effort concluded only if the whale dies, framing mortality as an acceptable endpoint in such high-risk operations.
