Barge rescue attempt for Timmy the whale in Germany gets go-ahead

Rescuers in Germany have successfully moved a stranded humpback whale

Preparations are nearing completion for a private, millionaire-funded operation to rescue a sickly humpback whale, nicknamed Timmy, stranded for nearly a month on Germany's Baltic Sea coast. The 12-tonne whale will be transported on a barge resembling a steel aquarium approximately 400km towards the North Sea, with the hope of returning it to the Atlantic. The mission, dubbed Operation Cushion, is scheduled to begin Tuesday. Experts believe the whale, which has been in shallow, low-salt waters too long, is dying. The audacious plan involves lifting the whale with air cushions and suspending it in a pontoon structure to be towed by a tugboat. The whale's situation has drawn hundreds of onlookers to the island of Poel.

Rescuers are planning a new attempt to save a humpback whale, nicknamed Timmy, stranded off the coast of Poel Island in northern Germany since early March. The whale, found in the Baltic Sea far from its natural habitat, is currently stuck in a shallow coastal area. A private company will use air cushions to refloat the injured whale by its flippers onto a tarp attached to a tug boat. The goal is to drag the whale around Denmark's coastline and into the North Sea, potentially further into the Atlantic. While the whale is weakened and previous rescue attempts have failed, officials believe this "minimally invasive" approach offers a chance of survival, though the prognosis remains critical.

A last-ditch rescue operation is underway in the German Baltic Sea to save a stranded humpback whale nicknamed "Timmy." The whale, first spotted last month near Timmendorfer Strand, has repeatedly beached itself. Despite criticism about its low chances of success, the rescue is funded by two millionaires after regional officials considered letting the whale die. The plan involves using air cushions to lift the 12-tonne whale onto a tarpaulin and towing it to the North Sea or Atlantic Ocean. The whale reportedly swam into the Baltic while chasing herring and suffers from wounds and a skin infection. Greenpeace, previously involved in rescue attempts, has criticized the current operation, citing the whale's weakened condition and the high risk of injury.