A humpback whale that had been struggling to survive after beaching near the German coast was Saturday released into the North Sea off Denmark after being transported in a barge, a member of a rescue mission said.<\/p>\n
Dubbed “Timmy” by the German media, the whale was first spotted stuck on a sandbank on March 23 near the city of Luebeck before freeing itself and then becoming stuck again several times.<\/p>\n
The whale left the barge it had been towed on from Wismar Bay on the Baltic coast at around 8:45 am (0645 GMT), said Karin Walter-Mommert from the rescue initiative.<\/p>\n
It is now swimming on its own and freely, and at least for the time being, in the right direction, she said.<\/p>\n
At the start of April, German officials gave up on trying to rescue the animal, saying they believed it could not be saved.<\/p>\n
But this triggered an outcry and authorities were persuaded to approve a privately financed rescue plan proposed by two wealthy entrepreneurs.<\/p>\n
The barge idea was hatched after their initial attempt to save the whale with inflatable cushions and pontoons was unsuccessful.<\/p>\n
The rescue effort was seen as a long shot and criticised by experts who said it would only cause the animal more distress.<\/p>\n
The whale’s ordeal has sparked a media frenzy — with non-stop coverage from TV channels, online outlets and social media influencers — but has also led to angry spats and conspiracy theories.<\/p>\n
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