Whale released after rescue bid found dead off Denmark
The dead whale found near the Danish island of Anholt has been confirmed to be the humpback whale nicknamed “Timmy”, which was stranded off the coast of Germany and was taken back to sea in an important rescue mission.
According to the Ministry of Environment of Germany’s Mecklenburg-Vorpommern state and Danish environmental authorities, the identification was made after a tracking device was found previously attached to the animal.
The finding clears up uncertainty about whether the carcass discovered off the coast of Denmark late this week is the same animal that captivated Germany and made headlines around the world.
The whale was first seen off the coast of Germany on March 3.
It is not known why it swam to the Baltic Sea, which is far from its habitat and is not suitable for it, but some experts say it may have lost its way while swimming after a herring school or during migration.
In late March, it was rescued from shallow waters in Germany’s Baltic resort town of Timmendorfer Strand with the help of an excavator, but soon ran into trouble again nearby.
Local media ran live broadcasts that lasted days, and news sites alerted readers to even the slightest developments in the whale’s condition.
The stranded male whale was transported by barge to the North Sea and was released on 2 May.
Divers from the Danish Nature Agency and a German veterinarian who was part of the private enterprise that previously transported the whale examined the whale on Saturday, sometimes diving under the carcass.
This investigation became clear after officials first said Friday that no transmitter was found in the animal.
Morten Abildstrøm of the Danish Nature Agency later explained that the tracer attached to the dorsal fin could not be detected at first because the whale was lying on its side and was later found on its back.
Authorities have not yet decided what to do with the dead whale.
Jane Hansen, head of department at the Danish Environmental Protection Agency, said “there are currently no concrete plans to remove the whale from the area or perform a necropsy and it is not thought to present a problem in the area at this time.”
However, he said it is important to stay away due to the possibility of carrying diseases.
with AP
