A humpback whale found dead this week off the Danish island of Anholt has been identified as the animal released two weeks ago following a controversial rescue effort. The whale, which had repeatedly become stranded off Germany’s Baltic Sea coast, washed up on Thursday in the Kattegat, the broad strait between Denmark and Sweden that connects the Baltic Sea to the North Sea.
The whale, dubbed Timmy or Hope, was initially spotted stuck on a sandbank on March 23. Following a spectacular rescue effort, the animal was transported toward the North Sea in a special barge and released on May 2.
Jane Hansen, head of division at the Danish Environmental Protection Agency, confirmed the identity of the animal. A Danish Nature Agency employee was able to retrieve a tracking device still fastened to the whale’s back, and authorities stated that the position and appearance of the device confirm it is the same whale that had been observed and handled in German waters, confirming that Timmy did not survive his journey.