‘Pure animal cruelty’: Timmy the whale confirmed dead after millionaires ignored the advice of experts and interfered

The floating carcass of a whale known as Timmy has been seen floating in the waters around Denmark, bringing a tragic end to a story the world has been following for weeks. But Timmy’s death wasn’t a peaceful one after millionaires and social media influencers ignored the advice of experts and took it upon themselves to try and help, ultimately making things much worse.

Timmy, a ten-meter-long Humpback whale calf, was first spotted a couple of months ago. The whale had beached itself on a sandbank in shallow waters on Timmendorfer beach. Dealing with a beached whale is tricky business and can often end terribly. The young whale’s health had severely deteriorated and, despite German officials’ best efforts, it was determined that there was nothing that could be done to rescue Timmy.

While it sounds brutal, experts from the International Whaling Commission and the Oceanographic Museum claimed that the best thing for Timmy was to let him die in peace. The expert’s conclusion did not sit right with many, including two German millionaires who concocted their own plan to free the dying whale from the beach.

Timmy’s rescue attempt was ill-advised

Experts advised against the plan, stating that Timmy’s health was “severely compromised,” as per The Guardian. The whale was weak, lethargic, and suffered from blisters and blemishes on its skin. They warned that it was highly likely that Timmy would die after release, regardless, which is why it had been determined that the kindest thing to do was to let him die in peace.

However, the millionaires had already decided to try and rescue Timmy “no matter the cost,” the plan was estimated to cost roughly 1.3 million euros (about $1.5 million) and involved floating Timmy away from the sandbanks and into a large water-filled barge. Oceanographic Museum director Burkard Baschek claimed that the efforts to save Timmy amounted to “pure animal cruelty.”

Others condemned the efforts of millionaires and other members of the public who were essentially interfering in matters of which they did not know best. TikTok creator Aly, has been following the story of Timmy since the start and severely criticized the rescue attempt, claiming it’s possible the rescue hurt Timmy. 

She explained that Timmy was pulled out of the barge by his tail, which can cause “permanent and severe damage.”

The rescue attempt was for nothing

Sure enough, the experts were sadly proven right as it has now been confirmed that Timmy unfortunately passed away. While he would have died on the beach anyway, he could have had a peaceful death had the experts been listened to. 

While some would argue that the whale’s “rescuers” were only trying to do the right thing, it’s important to know when to listen to the people who actually know what they’re talking about. Just because you have money doesn’t mean you know better, sometimes it’s better to just let nature take its course. Instead, Timmy’s death was much more painful and traumatic than it should have been.