Rescued whale ‘Timmy' feared dead days after £1.3M rescue

Timmy the humpback whale recently rescued from Germany's Baltic coast and released into deep water in the North Sea of Denmark is most likely dead, according to the German Oceanographic Museum.

The whale had remained stranded for over a month and was gradually losing its strength. 

Despite calls to let the animal peacefully die, private donors funded the £1.3 million controversial rescue plan to transport the whale in a water-filled barge.

In a statement to the German newspaper Ostsee-Zeitung, the museum said that due to lack of tracking data they cannot say for sure but there are high chances that the whale did not have strength to swim in deep water for any length of time and is no longer alive.

Two millionaires, MediaMarkt co-founder Walter Gunz and horse racing entrepreneur Karin Walter-Mommert, funded the rescue attempt amid national frenzy in Germany. They said, “We are prepared to pay whatever it costs to release Timmy.”

Previous attempts of rescue and the creature’s deteriorating health prompted officials to abandon the rescue but a crew of veterinarians and rescuers attempted to rescue despite fierce warnings and successfully transported the whale, though it is now feared the whale may have died.

There were hopes until Monday as the Whale’s GPS tracker was sending signals; however, now experts believe that the device is incapable of detecting signs of life.