Timmy, the humpback whale who spent weeks making headlines by being spectacularly stuck in shallow German waters, finally got his grand send-off. After five attempts and a rather pricey ride, the 40-foot celebrity was released into the North Sea on a Saturday, presumably to much fanfare and a collective sigh of relief from anyone who’d been following his saga.
His prolonged stay near Germany since March had become a bit of a local drama. Imagine being that stuck, for that long. The fifth rescue attempt, however, pulled out all the stops, largely thanks to two German millionaires who apparently decided funding a whale's Uber was a worthy cause. They footed the bill for a colossal, water-filled barge to ferry Timmy to deeper, less embarrassing waters.
Footage of his release showed the magnificent creature spouting water and, one can only assume, a heartfelt thank you as he swam off into the open sea. Online, fans sent well wishes, probably hoping he'd learned his lesson about shallow living.
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But because nothing is ever simple, some experts were less than thrilled. They worried Timmy's health, after weeks of being high and dry (metaphorically, mostly), was too compromised for a full recovery. Their concern: returning him to the wild might just be prolonging the inevitable. The International Whaling Commission (IWC) had actually criticized earlier, less successful attempts, arguing that these well-intentioned efforts added stress to an already ailing animal with little to gain.
Even after Timmy's splashy departure, the IWC, while acknowledging the Herculean effort, kept a cautious tone. They warned this wasn't a guaranteed happy ending, pointing out that release is merely the first step. True success, they noted, means Timmy has to swim, survive the stress, find a suitable habitat, eat normally, and regain his health over time. No pressure, Timmy.
Scientists did, however, attach a transmitter to Timmy before he motored off. The data from this little device will tell us how the humpback fares in the wild. Information that will, hopefully, guide future rescue missions for any other whales who decide German coastal waters are the perfect spot for a long, unplanned vacation.
