ANHOLT — The carcass of a humpback whale nicknamed Timmy was dragged onto a beach on the Danish island of Anholt on Saturday, two weeks after the animal was found dead in nearby shallow waters. The whale had died on May 14, ending a two-month rescue effort that drew widespread public attention.
The whale was first spotted off the German coast on March 3. It had strayed far from its natural habitat into the Baltic Sea, a region considered unsuitable for humpback whales. The Kattegat—the broad strait between Denmark and Sweden that connects the Baltic Sea to the North Sea—is where the animal ultimately became stranded just off Anholt.
Rescuers attempted to return the whale to the Atlantic Ocean, where humpback whales typically reside. On May 2, the mammal was placed on a barge and transported toward the North Sea in what was described as a final effort to guide it back to its natural habitat. The whale died 12 days later, on May 14.
The cause of death remains unknown. The Danish Environmental Protection Agency said the carcass will be examined next week to determine why the whale died. Officials have not released details about the condition of the animal in the days leading up to its death.
It is not clear why the whale entered the Baltic Sea. Some experts suggested it may have lost its way while following a shoal of herring or during migration. The unusual presence of the whale in inland European waters attracted sustained media coverage, with German news outlets sending push alerts and maintaining live blogs to update the public on its condition.
Danish news outlet News5 published a livestream on Saturday showing the carcass being pulled onto the shoreline by a cable attached to a truck. The whale, which had also been nicknamed “Hope,” remained in shallow water near Anholt for two weeks after its death before being moved to the beach.