NORTH SEA — Rescuers released a stranded whale calf named Timmy into the North Sea on Wednesday, roughly 70 kilometers from the coast of Skagen, Denmark, after transporting the animal on a water-filled barge from the German Baltic Sea coast. The 10-meter calf left the barge at about 8:45 a.m. local time and was later observed blowing through its blowhole and swimming freely. Drone footage showed a whale swimming and spouting water near the barge, though it was not immediately confirmed that the animal was Timmy.

The whale had been stranded in shallow waters off the German Baltic Sea coast since March, when it was first spotted swimming near the coast on March 3. It became stuck on a sandbank in Wismar Bay near the city of Lübeck roughly six weeks before its release. The animal was described as lethargic and covered in blister-like blemishes, with parts of its mouth believed to be caught in a fishing net.

The calf's health deteriorated as it became repeatedly stranded, breathing irregularly and often barely moving for days. It also suffered from a skin condition related to the Baltic Sea's low salt content, and rescuers applied pounds of zinc ointment. Some scientists believe the whale had searched for shallow waters because it was weak and needed rest.

German officials gave up trying to rescue the whale, saying they believed it could not be freed. After coverage from television channels and social media influencers, and protests by activists on the beach in Wismar calling for the whale's liberation, German authorities approved a privately financed rescue plan funded by two multimillionaires prepared to pay whatever it cost to release the animal.

Initial attempts using inflatable cushions and pontoons were unsuccessful. Divers eventually helped the whale onto a flooded barge watched by hundreds of onlookers. The barge reached Danish waters on Wednesday, traveling around the northern tip of Denmark via the Strait of Skagerrak toward the North Sea.

Till Backhaus, minister for climate protection, agriculture, rural areas and the environment of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, said the whale was resting peacefully and vocalized on Tuesday night, which meant it was doing well. After the release, Karin Walter-Mommert said, "It is now swimming on its own and freely, and at least for the time being, in the right direction." The calf has been equipped with a tracker to follow its movements.

The International Whaling Commission said the rescue attempt was inadvisable because the whale appeared to be severely compromised and unlikely to survive its release. Experts from the Oceanographic Museum in Stralsund recommended the whale be left to die in peace. The museum's director, Burkard Baschek, said trying to save the whale amounted to "pure animal cruelty."