A humpback whale that had been stranded in shallow waters for about a month along Germany’s Baltic Sea coast has been transported by barge to open waters and released into the North Sea.
According to the DPA news agency, volunteers involved in the operation reported in the morning that the whale was no longer on the barge. Jens Schwark, who accompanied the mission, stated that the animal was released into the water at around 09:00.
At the time, the vessel was located approximately 70 kilometers off Cape Skagen, in the Skagerrak Strait. Drone footage captured a whale moving in the water, although it has not yet been confirmed whether it is the same animal.
Experts warn that the whale’s condition remains critical. Marine biologist Fabian Ritter noted that after spending an extended period in shallow waters, it is uncertain whether the animal can swim and feed normally. The discovery of net remnants in its mouth has raised additional concerns. According to the Whale and Dolphin Conservation organization, the chances of survival are very low.
The whale, weighing around 15 tons and nicknamed “Timmy,” was first spotted on March 23 near Timmendorfer Strand in Germany. In the following days, it attempted several times to return to open waters but repeatedly swam back into shallow areas.
At the end of April, rescuers changed their strategy and decided to transport the animal by barge. Using this method, the whale was moved to deeper waters and released.
