A stranded humpback whale named Timmy by German media has been freed after more than a month off the country’s northeastern coast.
The ailing creature swam away Saturday with the help of a barge in the North Sea, following a series of rescue efforts streamed live globally.
Timmy was first spotted idle near Germany’s Baltic Sea coast on March 3, far from his natural Atlantic Ocean habitat. His health rapidly declined, with irregular breathing, minimal movement, and a severe skin condition from the Baltic's low salinity, treated with zinc ointment.
In April, the environment minister for Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania approved a last-ditch rescue attempt by a private initiative funded by multimillionaires, despite warnings from some scientists that the animal might not survive. Jens Schwarck, a member of the initiative, said the whale was released around 9 a.m. local time on Saturday, about 70 kilometers off the coast of Skagen, Denmark.
Debate had raged for weeks over whether to let Timmy die or intervene. Environmental group Greenpeace criticized the mission, calling the animal's survival odds extremely low. But vets deemed Timmy fit for transport, and the rescue succeeded.