health

April 28, 2026

Stranded whale Timmy swims on to barge in German rescue attempt

Rescuers hope to move young male humpback from Baltic to North Sea after being stranded for a month near Lübeck

Stranded whale Timmy swims on to barge in German rescue attempt

TL;DR

  • A humpback whale named Timmy, stranded for over a month on a sandbank in Germany's Baltic coast, has been coaxed onto a barge.
  • The rescue operation is funded by two multi-millionaires and is being closely watched by hundreds of onlookers and media.
  • The plan is to transport the whale via the barge to the North Sea and, if it is deemed robust enough, release it into the Atlantic Ocean.
  • Timmy has been treated with zinc ointment for skin blemishes and kept hydrated with hoses, with experts flown in from around the world.
  • Despite the success of getting the whale onto the barge, some experts involved in earlier attempts maintain the whale is sick and unlikely to survive.

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