2 min readMay 17, 2026 02:32 PM IST
A humpback whale, which was rescued after it was stranded in Germany, has been found dead near a Danish island.
Authorities in Denmark confirmed that the whale found near Anholt was previously rescued in Germany, according to the news agency AFP. The environmental officials were able to verify the whale’s identity on Saturday after improved weather conditions, and its tracking device was retrieved.
The Danish Environmental Protection Agency told AFP, “There are no concrete plans to remove the whale from the area or to perform a necropsy, and it is not currently considered to pose a problem in the area”.
Whale briefly freed itseld then stopped trying
The whale was first spotted stuck on a sandbank near Poel on March 23. In May, the whale was freed after being carried by a water-filled barge into the North Sea, reported the BBC. The whale briefly freed itself but became trapped again. After several failed rescue attempts, German authorities said they would stop trying. Two entrepreneurs, Karin Walter-Mommert and Walter Gunz, then funded a private rescue.
The whale was fitted with a tracking device and guided onto a water-filled transport ship called Fortuna B. The whale, nicknamed ‘Timmy’ or ‘Hope’ by rescuers, was stranded on Timmendorfer Beach.
However, critics were of the opinion that the operation might only cause the animal more suffering.
The Danish Environmental Protection Agency said there are no immediate plans to remove the dead humpback whale or carry out a post-mortem, as it is not currently seen as a problem in the area, reports AFP.
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Officials warned people not to go near the whale, saying it may carry diseases that could spread to humans. They also said there is a risk the carcass could explode because of gases building up inside as it decomposes.