A stranded humpback whale, affectionately called Timmy by German media, has been freed after being stranded for more than a month off the country’s northeast coast, the Associated Press and the German news agency Deutsche Presse-Agentur (DPA) reported.
The sick creature swam away on Saturday, with the help of a barge in the North Sea, after a series of rescue efforts, which were broadcast live around the world, to encourage it to return to deeper waters, media said.
Timmy was first spotted dormant near the German coast of the Baltic Sea on March 3, far from his natural habitat in the Atlantic Ocean.
His health rapidly deteriorated after repeatedly getting stuck, and several attempts to convince him to get out failed. Rescuers reported clear signs of distress, such as irregular breathing and minimal movement.
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Timmy also suffered from a serious skin condition related to the low salinity of the Baltic Sea, which was treated with zinc ointment, the AP said.
In April, the environment minister of the German state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania gave the green light to a last-ditch attempt to save the whale, proposed by a private initiative funded by a group of billionaires, despite some warnings from the scientific community that the animal might not survive.
Some experts argued that the whale had sought shallow waters because it was weakened and needed to rest, but veterinarians overseeing the private rescue effort said the animal was fit to be transported.
Jens Schwarck, a member of the initiative who was on the scene during Saturday’s rescue in the German city of Wismar, said the whale was freed around 9 a.m. local time, The Associated Press reported.
The DPA said the mammal was released about 70 kilometers off the coast of Skagen, Denmark.
April 23, 2026, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Wismar: Helpers are close to the whale (photo taken from an airplane). The humpback whale that ran aground near Wismar three weeks ago remains trapped in shallow waters. A private initiative has been trying to rescue the whale for days.
PhoPhilip Dulian/Picture Alliance via Getty Images
In the weeks since the whale first appeared, debate has arisen over whether to let it die or try to help it return to the Atlantic.
Some activists organized protests on Wismar beach calling for its release, while others supported different ideas about how the whale could be transported.
Before Saturday’s mission, plans had been put in place to gently push the whale off the sea floor using a tarp and a tugboat. according to BBC reportsbut experts had warned that the approach could harm the already injured creature.
A 67-year-old woman also jumped off a boat last month to get closer to the whale before she was detained, The Associated Press reported.
International environmental group Greenpeace criticized the rescue efforts, saying in a statement in April: “We are now focusing our efforts on promoting the protection of the oceans, including as habitat for whales,” before adding that the animal’s chances of survival were extremely low and that the current mission posed a high risk of injury to the mammal.
Until the whale was released, online newspapers sent regular alerts about Timmy and produced live broadcasts of their progress and mapped the whale’s whereabouts.
– with files from The Associated Press
© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
