Rescuers have released a young humpback whale, nicknamed Timmy or Hope, into the North Sea off Denmark after it became stranded on a sandbank in Wismar Bay, Germany, nearly six weeks ago. The 10-metre calf was transported in a water-filled barge and swam out freely, later observed blowing through its blowhole and swimming in the right direction, according to rescue initiative spokesperson Karin Walter-Mommert.
The rescue operation, funded by two multimillionaires who offered to pay whatever it cost, was criticised by the International Whaling Commission (IWC) as 'inadvisable' because the whale appeared severely compromised and unlikely to survive. Experts from the Oceanographic Museum in Stralsund recommended leaving the creature to die in peace, with director Burkard Baschek calling the attempt 'pure animal cruelty'.
The whale was described as lethargic, covered in blister-like blemishes, and with parts of its mouth believed caught in a fishing net. German officials had initially given up on rescue efforts, citing low survival chances, but public interest—including TV coverage and social media influencers—persuaded authorities to approve a privately financed plan.
Initial attempts using inflatable cushions and pontoons failed, but divers eventually guided the whale onto a flooded barge watched by hundreds. The calf was released at about 8.45am local time and equipped with a tracker. Till Backhaus, environment minister for Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, expressed hope for a 'happy end'.
Supporters in Germany have baked whale-shaped cakes, composed songs, and tattooed themselves with Timmy's image. However, the Danish environment ministry told Deutsche Welle it would not rescue the whale if it stranded again, calling beaching a 'completely natural phenomenon'.
