Germany rolls out strap rescue plan to free trapped whale Timmy

Rescuers are preparing a bold operation to free a humpback whale that has been stranded for weeks off Germany’s Baltic Sea coast.

The 12-metre-long whale, nicknamed “Timmy” by German media, has drawn nationwide attention since it first became trapped in early March, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

It has been stuck for around four weeks in a shallow bay near the Island of Poel.

After several unsuccessful rescue efforts by authorities, a privately funded initiative supported by wealthy backers has stepped in to launch a new attempt, despite warnings from environmental groups and marine experts that the intervention could increase the animal’s suffering.

The plan involves using straps to guide the roughly 12-ton whale through a dredged channel toward a transport barge, which would then tow it back toward deeper waters in the North Sea.

Mecklenburg-Vorpommern environment minister Till Backhaus said the regional government has approved the operation. He added that veterinarians working with the private initiative have confirmed the whale is in a condition suitable for transport.

The private initiative's vets have confirmed that the whale is in sufficient health to be transported, Backhaus added.

The humpback whale, believed to be around four to six years old, has become stranded in shallow waters five times so far.

By Jeyhun Aghazada