Rescuers have freed a young humpback whale that was stranded off the German coast. The whale, known as Timmy or Hope, became famous across the country.
It was released into the North Sea near Denmark. Rescuers moved the whale in a water-filled barge.
The 10-meter-long calf swam out of the barge. Later, it was seen blowing water and swimming freely. Karin Walter-Mommert from the rescue team said it was moving "in the right direction."
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Marine experts believe the whale's chances of survival are low. The International Whaling Commission (IWC) called the rescue "inadvisable." They said the whale seemed "severely compromised" and unlikely to live long after release.
Experts from the Oceanographic Museum in Stralsund, Germany, also suggested leaving the whale to die peacefully. The whale was described as tired and had blister-like marks. Parts of its mouth were thought to be caught in a fishing net.
Burkard Baschek, the museum's director, said trying to save the whale was "pure animal cruelty."
The Rescue Effort
Two multimillionaires funded the rescue. They said they would pay "whatever it costs" to free the whale. It had been stuck on a sandbank in Wismar Bay for almost six weeks.
German officials had initially given up on the rescue. They believed the whale could not be freed as its health worsened.
But the whale's struggle gained national attention. TV channels and social media influencers covered its story. This led German authorities to approve a privately funded rescue plan.
Early attempts to save the whale with inflatable cushions failed. However, divers eventually helped the creature onto a flooded barge. Hundreds of people watched.
The whale left the barge in the North Sea around 8:45 AM local time. Walter-Mommert confirmed it was swimming on its own and "in the right direction."
The calf now has a tracker to monitor its movements. Till Backhaus, the environment minister for Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, hopes for a "happy end."
In Germany, people have shown their support by baking whale-shaped cakes, writing songs, and getting whale tattoos.
However, the Danish environment ministry stated it would not rescue the whale if it gets stranded again. They called whale beaching a "completely natural phenomenon."
