Biologist-influencer accused of incompetence during the rescue of a whale off the coast of Germany

Influencer and marine biologist Robert Mark Lehmann was accused of unprofessionalism during an operation to rescue a humpback whale stuck off the coast of the city of Timmendorfer Strand, writes DW. The mayor of the city, Sven Parteil-Behnke, said that all of Lehmann’s forecasts turned out to be wrong, and his participation led to the adoption of incorrect decisions and the loss of important time.

According to the mayor, Leman initially positioned himself as an experienced specialist, but working with him turned out to be difficult. Conflicts also arose with the Institute of Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research (ITAW). During the rescue operation, it seemed that for Leman, spectacular photos and videos were more important than helping the animal itself. Although Lehmann was not expelled from the mission, his role was significantly reduced: he was prohibited from directing actions from aboard the police vessel. In addition, he is accused of the fact that because of his advice, rescuers missed the whale when it temporarily ran aground, and then were unable to find it again for too long.

The humpback whale, about 10 meters long, spent several weeks in the Baltic Sea outside its usual environment, periodically getting stuck in shallow water. The story of his rescue attracted the attention of all of Germany, however, according to experts, the animal is now dying.