Overview
- The donor-funded team, which began test flushing on Friday, said Saturday the lift and tow must wait for additional approvals.
- Divers, a dredger and a pontoon platform are set to wash out the seabed, slide a tarpaulin under the 12‑meter whale, inflate air cushions to raise it and ferry it between pontoons for towing toward the North Sea.
- The organizers accused state offices of adding new conditions, while the environment ministry said it is coordinating quickly and granted a temporary license for a veterinarian flown in from Hawaii.
- Authorities are tolerating the attempt under supervision and say the initiators bear full responsibility, while Greenpeace and other experts argue the animal is too weak and may still have net remnants in its mouth.
- Following Friday’s sudden tail beats and a near 90‑degree turn, observers reported the whale mostly still on Saturday as crews refreshed wet cloths, tested pumps and lowered a transport net beside the pontoons.