Barge carrying Timmy the whale on journey to North Sea
The barge carrying the humpback whale, which has been stranded in shallow waters near Germany since March, began its journey to the North Sea, hundreds of kilometers away.
If all goes well, the whale will eventually find its way home in the Atlantic Ocean.
The whale, nicknamed Timmy by German media, was first seen on March 3, swimming off Germany’s Baltic Sea coast, away from its natural habitat in the Atlantic Ocean.
The mammal’s health deteriorated as it was repeatedly stranded in shallow waters, and unsuccessful efforts to return it to deeper seas were broadcast live around the world.
In a final attempt to save the whale on Tuesday, rescuers spent hours pulling it onto a flooded barge using straps and a channel previously dredged to allow passage to the ship, German press agency DPA reported.
The barge arrived on the northern German island of Fehmarn, near Danish waters, early Wednesday, according to German tabloid Bild.
The barge is expected to pass around the northern tip of Denmark and head towards the North Sea via the Skagerrak Strait.
Till Backhaus, environment minister for the federal state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, where the whale was stranded, said on Tuesday that he was “on the verge of jumping into the water to help the whale cross the last few metres.”
The minister gave the green light to the latest attempt to save the whale, proposed by a private initiative, despite some warnings from the scientific community that it might be too much for the whale.
The debate has been going on for weeks over whether the best way to help the animal is to let it die peacefully or try to help it return to the Atlantic Ocean.
Activists held protests on Wismar beach calling for the animal’s release, while others supported new ideas for how the whale could be moved to the ocean.
But Greenpeace marine biologist Thilo Maack told The Associated Press in April that efforts to save Timmy caused the animal severe stress.
“I believe the whale will die very soon. I also want to ask the question: What’s actually so bad about it?” he said.
“Yes, animals live, animals die. This animal is really, really, really sick. And it decided to rest.”
Scientists are not sure whether the whale will survive this journey.
Some believe that the whale specifically seeks out shallow waters because it is weak and needs to rest.
However, the veterinarians of the private enterprise think that the animal is suitable for transportation.
