Humpback Whale Found Dead After Rescue Attempt Off Denmark

Danish authorities confirmed on Saturday that a young humpback whale found dead near the island of Anholt is the same animal previously stranded in Germany and moved by barge into the North Sea. The whale, nicknamed Timmy, was identified by a tracking device attached during earlier handling. Officials said the position and appearance of the device matched records from German waters.

The whale was first discovered on a sandbank on March 23 near the German town of Wismar. Rescuers dug channels to refloat it, but the animal stranded repeatedly over the following weeks. Veterinarians and marine scientists initially recommended palliative care, keeping the whale wet and comfortable, rather than further active attempts to move it.

The International Whaling Commission strandings expert panel supported that approach at the time. Local German authorities later approved a privately funded mission after public attention grew. On May 1, the whale was towed in a water-filled barge along the Danish coast and released into deeper waters.

The carcass was found earlier this week.

Danish environmental authorities stated that the tracking device and the whale’s appearance confirmed it was the same individual.

“It can now be confirmed that the stranded humpback whale near Anholt is the same whale that was previously stranded in Germany and was the subject of rescue attempts." — Jane Hansen, head of division at the Danish Environmental Protection Agency A Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania environment minister defended the decision, saying the whale had been given a last chance to recover its freedom and health. Officials said there are no plans to remove the carcass or conduct a necropsy.”