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Denmark Confirms Dead Whale Is ‘Timmy’ From Germany’s High-Profile Rescue

Officials identified the carcass by a recovered tracker, cementing scrutiny of the costly private rescue.

Overview

  • Danish authorities confirmed Saturday the dead humpback near Anholt is Timmy after a Nature Agency worker recovered the attached tracker.
  • The whale was released May 2 into the North Sea after volunteers guided it onto a water-filled barge in Germany during a widely watched rescue.
  • The carcass lies in the Kattegat about 130 kilometers from the release site, according to officials.
  • Officials say they have no immediate plans to remove the body or conduct a necropsy, and they warned people to keep clear because of disease risk and possible gas buildup explosions.
  • The device’s recovery resolved confusion over missing tracker signals and sharpened scrutiny of the €1.5 million privately financed effort that many scientists, including the International Whaling Commission, had called inadvisable for a severely weakened juvenile in low-salinity waters.