Stranded whale Timmy is on its way to home after rescuers moved it onto barge in Germany
Young whale nicknamed ‘Timmy’ had been trapped in shallow Baltic waters for more than a month
Published April 29, 2026
German rescuers successfully coaxed a young humpback whale onto a flooded barge on Tuesday, April 28.
This marks a significant milestone in a high-stakes mission to return the mammal to the open sea.
Nicknamed “Timmy” after it first stranded on a sandbank at Timmendorfer Strand, the whale had been trapped for over a month in the shallow, low-salinity waters of the Baltic Sea. The 10-meter-long, 12-tonne whale had grown extremely exhausted and was developing lesions on its skin.
Rescuers made several attempts to guide the mammal to deep waters but remained unsuccessful.
However, two multi-millionaire entrepreneurs funded a daring alternative. The mission found the solution of transporting the whale by barge to the North Sea.
On Tuesday, rescuers dug a channel through the sand and used straps to guide Timmy, who then swam voluntarily into the water-filled hold.
The barge, now within Danish territory, is being towed into the North Sea near the top of Denmark. Assuming the veterinarians find that Timmy is physically fit upon his arrival, he will be released into the water and swim towards the Atlantic Ocean.
