Rescue teams in northern Germany have successfully coaxed a stranded humpback whale, nicknamed 'Timmy', onto a specially converted freight barge. The barge is intended to guide the marine mammal back to its natural habitat in the Atlantic Ocean.

The whale is believed to have lost its way in early March, straying into the Baltic Sea. It has been stuck in various locations for over a month, spending the last few weeks in a small bay off the island of Poel.

Hopes for the animal's survival had almost faded, but a private company convinced local authorities to attempt a last-ditch effort using the barge to force the lost animal back on the right path.

Till Backhaus, environment minister for the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, told reporters that once the sea calms, the whale will begin its journey toward the North Sea and then return to its natural habitat. The 'Robin Hood' barge and a larger tug ship, the 'Fortuna B,' will guide the whale.

Backhaus defended the rescue efforts amid criticism from some animal rights and marine life organizations. 'We worked day and night here, together — and in the end we have saved this creature,' he said.

Veterinarian Kirsten Tönnies struck a cautiously positive note, stating the whale is 'in no way a doomed animal' and still has chances to survive and recover. However, it remains unclear how the whale will cope with the movement and whether it can recover from illnesses contracted in the Baltic Sea's lower salinity waters.

Source: www.dw.com