A barge carrying a humpback whale stranded in Germany for weeks has reached Danish waters on its journey to the North Sea.
A barge carrying ‘Timmy’, the humpback whale stranded in Germany since early March, is expected to reach the open ocean by Friday.
The tugboat pulling the water-filled barge entered Danish waters Wednesday afternoon.
It was located between the Danish islands of Samso and Sjaelland at 2 a.m. German time (0000 GMT) on Thursday, according to the Vessel Finder tracking website
A barge carrying ‘Timmy’, the humpback whale stranded in Germany since early March, is expected to reach the open ocean by Friday.
The tugboat pulling the water-filled barge entered Danish waters Wednesday afternoon.
It was located between the Danish islands of Samso and Sjaelland at 2 a.m. German time (0000 GMT) on Thursday, according to the Vessel Finder tracking website.Environment minister for the German state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Till Backhaus, said that if everything went well, the whale would be in the North Sea by Friday.
“The very worst is already behind him now,” Backhaus told Germany’s Bild newspaper on Wednesday.
Backhaus said the animal was “doing well” and had made sounds during the night.The whale, nicknamed ‘Timmy’ by Germany media, was towed from the shallows of the island of German island of Poel to the barge through a specially dredged channel on Tuesday.
Rescuers then pulled the whale onto the specially converted freight barge using straps.Stranded whale Timmy was coaxed onto barge in complex rescue
The whale, nicknamed ‘Timmy’ by Germany media, was towed from the shallows of the island of German island of Poel to the barge through a specially dredged channel on Tuesday.
Rescuers then pulled the whale onto the specially converted freight barge using straps.Nature and EnvironmentGermany
Whale ‘Timmy’ reaches Denmark in rescue effort — in pictures
Kate Hairsine with dpa, AP, Reuters
10 hours ago10 hours ago
A barge carrying a humpback whale stranded in Germany for weeks has reached Danish waters on its journey to the North Sea.
https://p.dw.com/p/5D2Vk
Timmy the humpback whale is seen in the back of a water-filled barge
The young humpback whale is being towed to the North Sea in a rescue attemptImage: Philip Dulian/dpa/picture alliance
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A barge carrying ‘Timmy’, the humpback whale stranded in Germany since early March, is expected to reach the open ocean by Friday.
The tugboat pulling the water-filled barge entered Danish waters Wednesday afternoon.
It was located between the Danish islands of Samso and Sjaelland at 2 a.m. German time (0000 GMT) on Thursday, according to the Vessel Finder tracking website.
An arial photo of a tugboat pulling the barge with Timmy the humpback whale in it.An arial photo of a tugboat pulling the barge with Timmy the humpback whale in it.
The tugboat and barge containing the humpback whale has crossed into Danish watersImage: Philip Dulian/dpa/picture alliance
Environment minister for the German state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Till Backhaus, said that if everything went well, the whale would be in the North Sea by Friday.
“The very worst is already behind him now,” Backhaus told Germany’s Bild newspaper on Wednesday.
Backhaus said the animal was “doing well” and had made sounds during the night.
The humpback whale nicknamed Timmy in the back of the barge, which has been filled with waterThe humpback whale nicknamed Timmy in the back of the barge, which has been filled with water
Rescuers managed to get Timmy onto the barge, has a water-filled hold and is usually used to carry other boatsImage: Jens Schwarck/Rettungsinitiative/dpa/picture alliance
Stranded whale Timmy was coaxed onto barge in complex rescue
The whale, nicknamed ‘Timmy’ by Germany media, was towed from the shallows of the island of German island of Poel to the barge through a specially dredged channel on Tuesday.
Rescuers then pulled the whale onto the specially converted freight barge using straps.
The humpback whale nicknamed Timmy raises its tail as it is pulled by rescuers standing in the oceanThe humpback whale nicknamed Timmy raises its tail as it is pulled by rescuers standing in the ocean
Rescuers guided Timmy from shallow waters through a specially dug channelImage: Jens Büttner/dpa/picture alliance
“I’m truly relieved,” Backhaus on Poel.
“I was even on the verge of jumping into the water to help him over the last few meters.”
People wearing wetsuits stand in waist-high water pulling on a wide strap.People wearing wetsuits stand in waist-high water pulling on a wide strap.
Rescuers pull Timmy the humpback (not visible) into the barge using strapsImage: Schwarck/NonstopNews/REUTERS
The young humpback was first spotted swimming near Germany’s Baltic Coast on March 3, far from its natural habitat in the Atlantic Ocean.
Timmy’s health deteriorated as the juvenile whale, thought to be between four and six years old, became repeatedly stranded in shallow waters.
The idea to coax the whale onto a barge and tow it to the North Sea was hatched after their initial attempt to save the whale with inflatable cushions and pontoons was unsuccessful.
Whale rescue attempt sparks heated debate
Some scientists warned that this latest attempt may be too much for the animal.Thilo Maack, a marine biologist at Greenpeace, told the Associated Press earlier this month that efforts to save Timmy have caused the animal severe stress.
“I believe the whale will die very soon now,” he said. “And I would also like to raise the question: What is actually so bad about that? Animals live, animals die.
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