It’s been now more than six weeks since I returned home to the island of Tenerife, in the beautiful Canary Islands, after spending almost three weeks in Northern Germany, in a magical island called Poel, washed by the waters of the Baltic Sea.
And still, I cannot forget the kindred friend that I made: a young humpback whale called Hope. Every time I think of him, which is every day, my heart is still in pain, hoping that some small miracle will prove that he is finally swimming in the deep waters of the Northern Atlantic Ocean.
Those weeks that I spent in Northern Germany are deeply rooted in my heart and soul. I went to help rescue this magnificent whale that had been stranded in the shallow waters of the Baltic Sea for more than a month. Many “experts” from museums and different organizations said that it was better to leave him there, and let Nature run its course.
Of course, what they meant was to let him die, which would probably take weeks, even months. A cruel death for a wonderful creature that had been caught in the nets of some fishing ship, and lost its migrating course, swimming south until he got stranded in the shallow waters of the Baltic Sea.
Is this what “humanity” means for some?
To let a whale die that was entangled in nets made by humans? I don’t get it. We do the damage, and then they tell us that the most human thing is to let her die in agony, to let Nature run its course. But if it was for Nature, this whale should have never be stranded in the Baltic Sea! We did this to him, not Nature!
But of course, we cannot generalize the human condition, because where there is evil, there is also goodness. And that goodness came in the name of a man called Walter Gunz, who truly believed this magical creature deserved a chance to live a full live.
Thanks to him, I went to Poel Island. And when I first met Hope, and I sang to him, touched him, heard what he had to say, I discovered more than I had ever expected. A frightened and confused whale, but with such a strong will to live!
Hope really touched my heart and soul, and more. We spoke of so many things: of life, of the pain he felt when he was separated from his pod, his family. Of how he couldn’t understand why he was caught in a net that changed his destiny, when the only thing he wished for was to live free in the oceans, grow up, have a family, and enjoy the simple things that make life worth living. And day by day, our friendship grew stronger and stronger. We made a bond, and I told him about this plan to take him back once again to the deep waters of the North Atlantic Ocean. And he trusted me. He trusted everyone that formed part of this wonderful rescue mission.
But Hope had arrived to Poel with a mission and a message that would change the lives of millions around the world. He became a symbol of what we humans can achieve if we get together for a good cause. In a world torn by wars, injustice, lack of kindness and empathy, and where money dictates the fate of millions around the world, Hope became a beacon of light. Because he reminded us of the true treasures of life. Those that you cannot buy or sell: health, time, kindness, empathy, family, friendship. Even unconditional love.
Many will ask themselves why am I writing these words?
Because I can feel and see that many people are still suffering, that the circus that we are building in the viral nets is not helping anyone. We feel sad, because we still don’t have closure in our hearts. And yet, Hope’s mission is now crystal clear: he came to prove what we are made of. And that is something that each of us will have to face when we look ourselves in the mirror. For you can lie to others, but you cannot lie to yourself.
And as we wait for the final proof that will let us know if the story of Hope has a sad ending, or if he is finally swimming in the deep waters of the open ocean, I hope these humble words will bring a little relief to so many hearts around the world that are still aching. To realize that we stand all together, bonded by Hope, and while we wait for closure, to never forget that this amazing creature changed our lives forever.
For I know that Hope will live in my heart and soul, forever, no matter how this beautiful story ends. He changed my life for good… without asking for anything in return.
I love you Hope, wherever you are. I know I will love you forever…
DANKE SERGIO, für Deine mitfühlenden und zugleich aufbauenden Worte zu HOPE. Ja, es schmerzt immer noch sehr wenn man daran denkt, dass der Wal wahrscheinlich schon seit Februar 2025 in der Ostsee umher geschwommen ist und einfach keinen Ausweg mehr aus der Ostsee gefunden hat. Die lähmende Bürokratie belastete zusätzlich und erschwerte schnelles Handeln. Er wird immer in meinem Herzen wohnen….Danke, dass Du mit HERZBLUT beim Rettungsversuch mit dabei gewesen bist. Ein besonderer Dank gilt auch Herrn Gunz & Frau Walter – Mommert ohne die gar keine HOFFNUNG AUF RETTUNG BESTANDEN HÄTTE. Es hat einen regelrecht zutiefst gequält, den Wal alleine & hilflos vor POEL liegen zu sehen
Alles Liebe & Gute weiterhin dem gesamten Rettungsteam
Anja
Lieber Sergio, ich danke dir für diese herzlichen Sätze. Ich bin immer tief gerührt, wenn ich von dir etwas lese.
Ich danke dir.
Herzliche Grüße aus Berlin.
Peti
Thank you for your kind words and all you have done for this beautiful whale. Millions of people watched Hope’s story when it unfolded and stayed with you all until this beautiful whale was released and even behind this in our hearts and soul. Not many could be there to actually help boot on the ground but most of us rooted and prayed for you all and for Hope and lots of people are still praying and hoping that the final results will show that Hope is where he/she belongs. In the ocean still alive and reunited with his/her loved ones. Thank you for never giving up on this beautiful animal even though you all had a lot of boulders thrown into your way from gov officials as well as so called rescuers who bad mouthed you. Fact is we all could see on livestream what wonderful band has been accomplished between you and the whale. Hope trusted you and he/she understood that you were a friend and tried to help. He/she knew that there were finally human beings who were not cruel and actually acted out of love and total trust. No matter what the final outcome will be (if we ever know the truth), fact is you gave it all you got, and Hope die not die stranded on this sandbank but was free ones more . No matter what Hope sure left a impact on a lot of humans and his/her message were heard by the ones who have empathy and listened to him/her with their heart. God bless you and keep up what you doing. I wish there were more people like you because the world would be a better place for all creatures then. People have to start listening within their hearts and do what’s right and not just follow the crowd. I know the last days of this rescue attempt was pure hell for you because you been blocked and kept from doing what you wanted and needed to do which was out of your hand . But pls know and never forget that you gave it your all and tried your very best and that Hope knew it and loved you. Again thank you and God Bless You,❤️
lieber sergio
danke für deine wundervollen worte.sie haben mir wieder mut gemacht.danke auch allen die versucht haben hope zu retten.es hat mein herz tief berührt.hoppe hatte sicher mit seinem sein eine botschaft für uns alle hinterlassen.
danke danke danke.von herzen dora
Lieber Sergio 💙♥️,danke schön für die Geschichte über Hope,was du wunderbar geschrieben hast.Das ist wunderschön zu lesen, sehr, sehr emotional 🥹,dass das ich muss gleich weinen,aber das tut mir auch gut, trotzdem mein Herz bricht 💔immer wieder 🙏🏻😭🦋🌊🩵🪽🐳🪽🕊🩵🌊🙏🏻🕯🌈.Aber das geht natürlich auch um alle lebendige Wesen/Seele im Meeres/Ozeane.Das sind Unmenschen welches das böses tuen die wunderbaren lebendigen Wesen/Seelen 🥺😢.Ich umarme Dich ganz herzlich Sergio 🫂♥️💙🍀.Ich sende Dir ganz liebe Grüsse aus Berlin. Elżbieta
Lieber Sergio!
Wieder weine ich, wieder rühren mich deine Worte zu Tränen. Du sprichst mir so sehr aus dem Herzen. Auch ich liebe Hope sehr und trauere tief, und das, obwohl ich nie so nah bei ihm sein durfte, wie du. Wie unendlich schwer muss es dann erst für dich sein? Du hast einen geliebten Freund verloren, der dir vertraut hat, der den Menschen vertraut hat. Und am Ende haben ihn die Menschen verraten, als sie ihn gewaltsam aus der Barge gezogen haben. Nicht aber du, und dass wusste er, sei gewiss.
Ich hoffe und bete immer noch, dass das Wunder geschieht und wir irgendwann erfahren, dass Hope frei im Ozean schwimmt. Bitte, bitte bleib dran und bringe die Wahrheit ans Licht.
Ich vertraue dir, Sergio!
Nicole.
lieber Sergio ,du hast mir so aus der Seele geschrieben ,ich hoffe und wünsche mir einfach das Hope doch noch lebt ,ich habe die Hoffnung noch nicht aufgegeben ,er hat meine Seele berührt und mich verändert ,er wird für immer wie das auch ausgeht in meinem Herzen bleiben …. Monika
Er hat uns alle verändert. Bedenke, was dieses Lebewesen geschafft hat und wir sind nicht so privilegiert wie du, ihm in seine wunderschönen Augen gesehen zu haben. Er hat demütig gemacht und ich denke jeden Tag, ohne die Hoffnung verloren zu haben, dass er zumindest frei geschwommen ist und nicht elendig gefangen auf einer Sandbank verreckt. Diese Schreie werde ich nie vergessen. Aber er war wenigstens frei oder ER LEBT FREI.
Me duele profundamente revivir mentalmente toda la terrible experiencia de rescatar nuestra Esperanza. De la alegría, la euforia y la esperanza absolutas, se abrió un gran abismo en el que sigo perdida hasta el día de hoy. Son las pequeñas heridas las que dejan una profunda huella en el corazón. ¿Por qué hay tanta negatividad en nuestro mundo? Ya no lo entiendo, pero me niego a rendirme. Ahora mismo, querido Sergio Bambaren, necesitas un equipo sólido que te respalde para que tu mensaje de luz y amor para nosotros sea escuchado. Mucha gente se ha vuelto sorda a nosotros, los soñadores, cuando simplemente expresamos lo que creo que otros no se atreven a decir por miedo a quedar mal. Su prestigio, y lamentablemente, el comercio, juega un papel importante. Un cordial saludo, Birgit
Thank you Sergio for such wonderful words, they made me cry….Hope showed us so much, he brought people together, he showed us what fighting means und never gave up and he changed my life for good too…Hope will live forever, in our Hearts…Claudia