Timmy, a roughly 40-foot humpback whale that had been stuck in shallow waters for several weeks, was released into the North Sea on Saturday. First sighted on a sandbank near Lübeck on March 23, the whale managed to free itself at times but became stranded repeatedly until rescue teams carried out a final operation.
Saturday’s effort was the fifth staged attempt to move Timmy to deeper water. Two German millionaires funded the operation and commissioned a large, water-filled barge to transport the whale. Video of the release shows Timmy blowing spurts of water as he swam away into open sea, and social media was full of well-wishes for the animal.
Some marine experts warned that Timmy’s condition might be so weakened by prolonged stranding that returning him to open water could only postpone death and extend suffering. The International Whaling Commission has repeatedly criticized such interventions, saying they can impose substantial additional stress on already gravely ill animals. After the release, the IWC acknowledged the technical, logistical and financial effort involved but emphasized that getting the whale back to sea is only the beginning of any recovery. They said a successful rescue hinges on whether Timmy can swim effectively, survive the physiological effects of long-term stranding and transport, return to suitable habitat, resume normal feeding and regain overall health.
A transmitter attached to Timmy before the release will send tagging data to researchers, providing information on how he fares in the wild and helping guide future decisions about similar rescue attempts.