1 / 10 | Timmy whale is released into the North Sea after weeks stranded off the coast of Germany. A stranded whale is doused with water after getting stuck on a sandbar in Kirchdorf on the island of Poel, Germany. – Michael Probst
Berlin – A rescue team on Saturday freed a humpback whale from a barge in the North Sea that had been stranded in shallow waters near Germany since March, witnesses reported.
Nicknamed Timmy by German media, the whale was seen swimming near the German coast of the Baltic Sea on March 3, far from its natural habitat in the Atlantic Ocean.
The mammal’s health worsened as it was repeatedly stranded in shallow waters near the coastal town of Wismar, and unsuccessful efforts to lure it into deeper waters were broadcast live around the world.
The environment minister of the German state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania gave the green light to the attempt to save the whale, proposed by a private initiative, despite some warnings from the scientific community that it may be too much for the animal.
Jens Schwarck, a member of the private initiative who was at the scene, said the whale was released around 9 a.m. local time, according to the German news agency dpa. The agency reported that the whale was released about 45 miles (70 kilometers) off the coast of Skagen, Denmark.
Drone footage showed a whale swimming and spewing water near the barge, although it was not immediately confirmed that the animal was indeed Timmy.
A debate arose over whether to let the whale die in peace or try to help it return to the Atlantic Ocean. Activists have staged protests on Wismar beach calling for its release, while others have supported new ideas about how the whale could be transported.
Some scientists believe the whale had sought shallow waters because it was weak and needed to rest. However, private veterinarians considered that the animal was fit to be transported.
According to dpa, before releasing her, a GPS transmitter was placed on her to locate her in the future.
It is unclear why the whale swam to the Baltic Sea, far from its natural habitat in the Atlantic Ocean. Some experts say the animal could have gotten lost while swimming after a school of herring or during migration.
Since then, the mammal was repeatedly stranded in shallow waters. He was in clear danger, breathing irregularly and often barely moving for days.
Timmy also suffered from a skin condition, related to the low salt content of the Baltic Sea, and the rescuers applied kilos of zinc ointment to him.
This story was translated from English to Spanish with an artificial intelligence tool and was reviewed by an editor before publication.