Stranded whale "Timmy" begins barge journey toward the North Sea - VIDEO

A humpback whale nicknamed Timmy, which has been stranded in shallow Baltic Sea waters near Germany since March 3, is currently being transported via barge toward the North Sea.

The rescue mission, funded by two private entrepreneurs after official efforts were halted in early April, aims to return the animal to its natural habitat in the Atlantic Ocean, News.Az reports, citing Euro News.

The rescue involves a flooded barge being towed by tugboats on a 400-kilometer journey around the northern tip of Denmark.

While veterinarians from the private initiative consider the whale fit for transport, some scientists and activists have expressed concerns. Marine biologists, including representatives from Greenpeace, have warned that the rescue efforts cause the animal severe stress and suggested that the whale may have sought shallow waters because it was too ill to survive. Despite these warnings, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern’s environment minister, Till Backhaus, authorized the private mission following public outcry.

News.Az 

By Leyla Şirinova