BERLIN (AP) — A humpback whale that captured Germany’s attention for months survived approximately five days following a final disputed rescue operation that failed to return the animal to the Atlantic Ocean, authorities announced Friday.
The marine mammal, given the nicknames “Timmy” and “Hope” by German news outlets, was discovered deceased on May 14, washed ashore near the tiny island of Anholt in the Kattegat, a wide waterway separating Denmark and Sweden that links the Baltic and North seas.
Finding the whale’s body brought closure to months of dramatic and divisive rescue operations that reached their peak on May 2, when the creature was moved by barge toward the North Sea in a last-ditch effort to save it. Researchers, government leaders, citizens and private groups debated whether allowing the weakened and ill animal to die naturally was more compassionate than pursuing additional rescue measures.
Information from a tracking device placed on the whale’s dorsal fin indicates the animal’s death most likely happened on May 6 or 7, stated Till Backhaus, who serves as environment minister for Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.
During those five days, the whale traveled approximately 215 kilometers (134 miles) but was swimming back toward the Baltic Sea, moving away from its intended destination of the Atlantic Ocean.
Following that period, the information suggests the whale probably floated without direction — or the tracking device stopped functioning, Backhaus explained Friday at a press briefing.
The whale was initially observed near Germany’s coastline on March 3, creating a media sensation that featured breaking news alerts and continuous online updates about the animal’s condition.
Experts remain uncertain why the whale entered the Baltic Sea, an environment unsuitable for its survival, though some specialists suggested it might have become disoriented while following a school of herring or during seasonal migration.
A post-mortem examination of the remains has not yet identified what caused the whale’s death, Backhaus reported, but officials did learn that “Timmy” was actually female, contradicting months of assumptions about the whale being male.
The minister noted that the autopsy revealed no significant injuries, and found no evidence of violence or foreign objects that could have led to death.
“Did it have any nets or other foreign objects on its body, in its mouth or on its body?” Backhaus stated. “Nothing was found.”
According to German news agency dpa, portions of the whale’s remains will be converted to biodiesel in Denmark, while some bones will be donated to a Danish museum.
