A young humpback whale, nicknamed Timmy or Hope, has been released into the North Sea off Denmark after being stranded in shallow waters off Germany's Baltic coast since March. The whale became a national sensation, captivating the country during its weeks of drama.
To facilitate the release, two entrepreneurs financed a water-filled barge to transport the trapped creature to its natural habitat. The whale was towed from the shallow German waters to the North Sea, where it was finally released from the barge.
The rescue took place despite warnings from scientific experts who deemed the intervention inadvisable. These experts cautioned that the operation might stress the animal and stated that its chances of survival are low.
Currently, Timmy is swimming freely on its own and is moving in the right direction for the time being. However, the whale remains not entirely out of harm's way.