German authorities defended a costly rescue attempt for a stranded humpback whale named Timmy, despite experts deeming it inadvisable. The whale died two weeks after the rescue, and its carcass was later found in Danish waters.
A humpback whale nicknamed Timmy, stranded in shallow waters near Germany's Baltic Sea coast since March, was released from a barge in the North Sea around 70km from Skagen, Denmark on Saturday. The whale had repeatedly become stranded near Wismar, with failed efforts to coax it toward deeper waters live-streamed globally. The rescue was approved by Germany's Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania environment minister despite scientific warnings.
A stranded humpback whale in the Baltic Sea remains stuck near Poel island, Germany, as rescuers struggle to guide it back to deeper waters.
