Denmark's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) confirmed on Saturday that a dead humpback whale spotted off the Danish coast is the same creature nicknamed 'Timmy' that spent over a month stranded off Germany's Baltic coast.

The whale initially became stranded on a sandbank on Germany's Baltic Sea coast on March 23. After several failed rescue attempts, authorities announced they were giving up. However, two entrepreneurs, Karin Walter-Mommert and Walter Gunz, stepped in to finance a private rescue operation.

The operation drew criticism from some marine experts who argued it was unlikely to succeed and would cause the severely weakened whale more distress. Despite this, the whale was placed in a water-filled barge and towed to the North Sea, where it was released on May 2.

A whale carcass was then spotted off Denmark's Anholt island on May 14. Initial examination could not locate a tracking device attached by rescuers, but on Saturday divers were able to retrieve it. Jane Hansen, division head at the Danish EPA, stated that the position and appearance of the device confirm this is the same whale handled in German waters.

Danish authorities said there are currently no plans to remove the carcass. They warned the public to keep a safe distance, as the whale may carry diseases transmissible to humans and there is a risk of explosion due to gas buildup from decomposition.

Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania's environment minister, Till Backhaus, thanked Danish authorities for their assistance. He defended his decision to allow the private rescue attempt, saying, 'I consider it completely human to make use of even the slimmest of chances when a life is at stake.' He acknowledged the whale's slim survival chances.

Source: www.dw.com