Danish authorities have confirmed the death of Timmy the whale, a humpback that was the subject of a controversial rescue attempt two weeks ago. The whale was found dead on Friday near the island of Anholt in the Kattegat strait, with identification confirmed on Saturday via a tracking device.
The 10-metre-long calf first gained attention after being stranded on Timmendorfer beach in Germany nearly two months ago. German officials initially abandoned rescue efforts due to the whale's poor health, but two German millionaires financed a €1.5 million operation to transport it to the North Sea.
The rescue involved floating Timmy onto a barge and towing it to deeper waters off Denmark. The International Whaling Commission criticised the attempt as 'inadvisable', noting the whale appeared 'severely compromised'. Experts from the Oceanographic Museum in Stralsund recommended leaving the whale to die in peace, with director Burkard Baschek calling the rescue 'pure animal cruelty'.
After release on 2 May, the whale was seen swimming freely, but its tracker malfunctioned. The financiers later distanced themselves from the release method. The carcass was found about 70km south of the release site. Danish authorities have no plans for removal or necropsy, urging the public to stay away due to potential disease risks.
