Stranded Whale ‘Timmy’ Released Into North Sea In Dramatic Rescue
Aerial photo taken on April 29, 2026 shows the rescued humpback whale in a special barge along the Danish coastline enroute back to the North Sea after it beached on a sandbank near the city of Luebeck, in late March. Photo by DANNY GOHLKE / AFP A humpback whale that had been struggling to survive after beaching near the German coast was released Saturday into the North Sea off Denmark, after being transported in a barge in a last-ditch rescue operation. Advertisement googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display("div-gpt-ad-1672569656851-0"); }); The whale, dubbed “Timmy” in Germany — where its ordeal captured hearts and sparked a media frenzy — exited the barge, blew air through its blowhole, and swam off, said Karin Walter-Mommert, one of the wealthy entrepreneurs who financed the rescue initiative. It was now swimming on its own and, at least for the time being, in the right direction, she said. Aerial photo taken on April 29, 2026 shows a ship towing the rescued humpback whale in a special barge along the Danish coastline enroute back to the North Sea after it beached on a sandbank near the city of Luebeck, in late March. Photo by DANNY GOHLKE / AFP The whale “has some small injuries — probably from being transported in rough seas — but they are superficial”, said Walter-Mommert. Advertisement googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display("div-gpt-ad-1672569913499-0"); }); It “should now swim up the Norwegian coast toward the Arctic”, added the entrepreneur, who made her fortune in horse racing. The whale was first spotted stuck on a sandbank on March 23 near the city of Luebeck, on Germany’s Baltic Sea coast, before freeing itself and then becoming stuck again several times. Swans swim past people standing close to a stranded humpback whale in the Wismarer Bucht bay of the Baltic Sea off the island of Poel, northern Germany, close to the village of Faehrdorf-Hof, on April 28, 2026. Photo by DANNY GOHLKE / AFP Various attempts to save it had failed, and authorities had announced they were giving up — prompting Walter-Mommert and another wealthy entrepreneur to step in. Advertisement googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display("div-gpt-ad-1672587799169-0"); }); They came up with what many saw as a long-shot plan: coax the whale into the water-filled hold of a special barge and tow it back to its natural habitat. Some experts criticised the privately financed rescue plan, saying it would only cause the animal more distress. But the plan appeared to have succeeded against the odds, as the whale left the barge from Wismar Bay on the Baltic coast at around 8:45 am (0645 GMT), organisers said. Advertisement googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display("div-gpt-ad-1672587060870-0"); }); Weeks-long saga People are seen close to a stranded humpback whale, guiding the animal to a special barge intended to bring it to the North Sea, in the Wismarer Bucht bay of the Baltic Sea off the island of Poel, northern Germany, close to the village of Faehrdorf-Hof, on April 28, 2026.Photo by DANNY GOHLKE / AFP To get the whale onto the barge, rescuers had attached straps to it and heaved it down a channel that had been specially dug in the sand to allow it to reach the vessel. Rescuers then swam alongside it as it sped up and entered the barge — sparking cheers from the crowd watching from shore. The barge idea was hatched after the entrepreneurs’ initial attempt to save the whale with inflatable cushions and pontoons was unsuccessful. Officials gave the green light for the rescue after veterinarians said the whale was fit to be transported. The saga has drawn non-stop coverage from TV channels, online outlets and social media influencers — but has also led to angry spats and conspiracy theories about how the whale got off track in the first place. Join Our Whatsapp Channel To join: Simply click on the link below & turn on notifications to get the latest updates Subscribe to Our Newsletter In This Article: Baltic Sea Humpback whale North Sea More Stories In Finland, Kids Take Hovercraft To School Over Frozen Baltic Sea Baltic Sea Cable Damaged By ‘External Impact’ — Russia /* * * CONFIGURATION VARIABLES: EDIT BEFORE PASTING INTO YOUR WEBPAGE * * / var disqus_shortname = 'channelstelevision'; // Required - Replace example with your forum shortname / * * DON'T EDIT BELOW THIS LINE * * */ (function() { var dsq = document.createElement('script'); dsq.type = 'text/javascript'; dsq.async = true; dsq.src = '//' + disqus_shortname + '.disqus.com/embed.js'; (document.getElementsByTagName('head')[0] || document.getElementsByTagName('body')[0]).appendChild(dsq); })(); Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.