Denmark: Timmy the whale not to be moved from Anholt despite bathers climbing on carcass
A decision has been made over what to do with a dead humpback whale, known as Timmy, after tourists were seen climbing on his decomposing carcass.
A dead humpback whale known as Timmy is expected to remain off the Danish island of Anholt, authorities say, as bathers were seen climbing onto the decomposing carcass and posing for photos over the weekend.
The animal is located in Danish waters, just offshore, and local authorities assume it will stay there, a spokesman for the environment ministry of the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern said.
The whale had been transported alive toward the North Sea by a private initiative more than two weeks ago in a complex operation that attracted worldwide attention.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.About two weeks later, it was found dead off Anholt.
Officials believe the whale has been dead for at least a week, likely longer.
Its advanced state of decomposition would complicate both any attempt to move the carcass and a detailed examination, the German ministry said.
Authorities are seeking to retrieve a tracking device attached to the whale and analyse its data, which could provide insights into how long the animal survived and where it had been.
Karin Walter-Mommert, one of the donors who helped fund the private rescue effort off the German coast, has offered to support such an analysis.
The transmitter is currently in the possession of Danish environmental authorities.
Those authorities have already said there are no plans to remove the whale or carry out a more detailed examination.
The whale has attracted the curious and the reckless, with some swimming out to the carcass to get a closer look and even posing for photos on top of it, sparking outrage online.
Experts warn dead whales are known to explode because gases build up during decomposition and cannot escape through the thick layer of blubber.
Denmark’s Nature Agency said it understood the public interest but stressed the need to keep a safe distance and avoid approaching it, not least because it may carry diseases transmissible to humans.
The 12-metre young humpback whale, which came to be known as Timmy after the nickname caught on with the public, was first spotted in early March in the Baltic Sea, appearing in the German port of Wismar and nearby coastal areas, where it repeatedly became entangled in fishing gear.
Rescue teams and conservation groups made several attempts to free it from nets and lines as it moved along the coast of the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, drawing growing public attention.
By late March, the whale began stranding repeatedly in shallow waters - near the small town of Timmendorfer Strand, from which it got its nickname, and in the Wismar Bay area.
Despite multiple rescue efforts, including digging channels and trying to guide it back to deeper water, the animal remained weakened, disoriented and unable to swim out to the open sea.
The animal’s plight became headline news in Germany as public debate swirled over what should or shouldn’t be done for Timmy.
Experts advised against further intervention, suggesting the whale may have been seeking a place to die.
Nevertheless, in mid-April German state authorities approved a privately funded rescue attempt to move the animal to open sea by barge, and it was released into the North Sea on May 2.
The whale was found several kilometres away from the release site late last week.
