Overview
- The whale, hauled onto a partially submerged barge Tuesday, is slated for release in deeper waters in the North Sea or the Atlantic.
- Two veterinarians found the roughly 12-meter animal fit to travel, which led Environment Minister Till Backhaus to approve the attempt.
- Rescue teams dug a channel in the shallows and used straps to pull the humpback to the barge near the island of Poel.
- The operation is funded by entrepreneurs Karin Walter-Mommert and Walter Gunz after a previous effort was abandoned late last week.
- Scientists question the chances of success, and police are keeping crowds back after rescuers reported death threats.