Rescuers have released a young humpback whale, nicknamed Timmy or Hope, into the North Sea off Denmark after it became stranded in shallow waters off Germany's Baltic coast. The 10-metre long calf was transported via a water-filled barge and swam out on its own, later observed blowing through its blowhole and swimming freely.
Despite the successful release, marine experts have expressed doubts about the whale's survival prospects. The International Whaling Commission (IWC) criticised the rescue as 'inadvisable', noting the calf appeared 'severely compromised'. Experts from the Oceanographic Museum in Stralsund recommended allowing the creature to die peacefully, with director Burkard Baschek calling the effort 'pure animal cruelty'.
The whale, described as lethargic with blister-like blemishes and possible entanglement in fishing net, became stranded on a sandbank in Wismar Bay nearly six weeks ago. German officials initially abandoned rescue attempts, deeming the mammal unfreeable. However, after national media coverage and social media attention, authorities approved a privately financed plan backed by two multimillionaires willing to pay 'whatever it costs'.
Initial rescue attempts using inflatable cushions and pontoons failed, but divers eventually guided the whale onto a flooded barge, watched by hundreds of onlookers. The calf has been fitted with a tracker to monitor its movements. Till Backhaus, environment minister for Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, expressed hope for a 'happy end'.
In Germany, supporters have baked whale-shaped cakes, composed songs, and tattooed the animal's image. However, Denmark's environment ministry stated it would not attempt rescue if the whale strands again, describing beaching as a 'completely natural phenomenon'.
