German Rescuers Load Stranded Whale onto Transport Barge

Rescuers in Germany successfully coaxed a stranded humpback whale nicknamed Timmy into a specially equipped barge on Tuesday, launching a final effort to transport the animal from shallow Baltic Sea waters near the island of Poel to deeper areas in the North Sea.

The juvenile whale, far from its Atlantic Ocean habitat, had captured national attention since first grounding on a sandbank near Luebeck on March 23. It repeatedly freed itself only to strand again amid failed official attempts to guide it out, including dug channels. By early April, authorities in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania had halted rescue operations, deeming survival unlikely. Public outcry prompted two entrepreneurs to fund a private initiative, which state Environment Minister Till Backhaus approved after veterinarians deemed the whale fit for transport.

On Tuesday, teams attached straps to Timmy and led it down a freshly dredged channel toward the barge, a vessel with a water-filled hold typically used for boats. Rescuers swam alongside as the whale accelerated and entered voluntarily, prompting cheers from the shore. The barge departed that evening, secured by green netting to prevent escape, with plans to...