BerlinAP —
Rescue teams on Saturday freed a humpback whale from a North Sea barge that had been stranded in shallow waters near Germany since March, witnesses said.
The whale, nicknamed “Timmy” by German media, was spotted swimming near Germany’s Baltic Sea coast on March 3, far from its natural habitat in the Atlantic Ocean.
The mammal repeatedly became stranded in shallow waters near the coastal city of Wismar, its health deteriorated and attempts to coax it into deeper waters failed, which were livestreamed around the world.
Race to save stranded humpback whale
The environment minister of Germany’s Mecklenburg-Vorpommern state has given the go-ahead to a proposed privately-led attempt to save the whales, despite warnings from the scientific community that it could be too taxing for the whales.
According to German news agency dpa, Jens Schwarck, a member of the private initiative who was at the scene, said the whale was released at around 9 a.m. local time. The agency said the whale was released 70 kilometers (about 45 miles) off the coast of Skagen, Denmark.
Drone footage showed the whale swimming and spewing water near the barge, but it was not immediately confirmed whether the animal was indeed Timmy.
A debate arose over whether to let the whale die peacefully or help it return to the Atlantic Ocean. Activists have protested on the coast of Wismar demanding the whale’s release, and some are supporting new ideas for how to transport the whales.
Some scientists believe the whale was looking for shallow water because it was weak and needed a rest. However, private veterinarians determined the animal was suitable for transport.
According to dpa, a GPS transmitter was reportedly installed to track the whale’s future location before its release.
It’s unclear why the whales swam far from their natural habitat, the Atlantic Ocean, into the Baltic Sea. Some experts say the herring may have been following a school of herring, or may have gotten lost during its migration.
Since then, the mammal has repeatedly become stuck in shallow water. He was clearly in pain, breathing irregularly and often barely moving for several days.
Timmy also suffered from severe skin conditions related to the low salinity of the Baltic Sea, and rescuers applied several kilograms (pounds) of zinc ointment.
Local media produced live streams for several days to draw greater public attention to the whale’s fate. Online newspapers blasted push notifications about every little thing about Timmy’s health.
