A humpback whale calf, nicknamed Timmy after gaining widespread media attention for repeatedly getting stranded in shallow waters near Germany, has been successfully released into the North Sea by a rescue team. The operation, launched as the whale's health deteriorated, involved transporting Timmy in a water-filled barge and releasing him off the coast of Denmark on Saturday.
Karin Walter-Mommert, one of the private financiers of the operation, told AFP that the whale appeared to be swimming freely and in the right direction upon release. He "should now swim up the Norwegian coast toward the Arctic," she said.
Timmy was first spotted near Germany's Baltic Sea coast on March 3. He repeatedly got stuck in shallow waters despite efforts to encourage him back to deeper sea. Far from his natural Atlantic Ocean habitat, the whale became distressed, and the public became invested in his plight as his health declined and experts feared he would not survive.
Several rescue attempts, including using inflatable cushions and a pontoon, were unsuccessful, leading German officials to suggest he was doomed. A private initiative to save the animal was then approved by Germany's Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania state, sparking debate over whether it would be best to let him die in peace or push him to return home.
Timmy developed a skin condition due to the Baltic Sea's low salt content and would barely move for days, with irregular breathing. The International Whaling Commission said in April that with each stranding causing additional harm, "the chances of survival [had become] negligible." However, the use of a special barge finally saw Timmy returned to his natural habitat.
It is not clear why the whale swam into the Baltic Sea, far from the Atlantic. Some experts suggest the animal may have lost its way while chasing a shoal of herring or during migration. A GPS transmitter was reportedly attached to the whale before release, suggesting further updates may follow in a case that has been closely followed by online media.
Source: www.aljazeera.com