A humpback whale that had been struggling to survive after beaching near the German coast was released Saturday into the North Sea off Denmark, after being transported in a barge in a last-ditch rescue operation.
The whale, dubbed "Timmy" in Germany -- where its ordeal captured hearts and sparked a media frenzy -- exited the barge, blew air through its blowhole and swam off, said Karin Walter-Mommert, one of the wealthy entrepreneurs who financed the rescue initiative.
kAmxEÂ H2D ?@H DH:>>:?8 @? :ED @H? 2?5[ 2E =62DE 7@C E96 E:>6 36:?8[ :? E96 C:89E 5:C64E:@?[ D96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm%96 H92=6 Q92D D@>6 D>2== :?;FC:6D \\ AC@323=J 7C@> 36:?8 EC2?DA@CE65 :? C@F89 D62D \\ 3FE E96J 2C6 DFA6C7:4:2=Q[ D2:5 (2=E6C\|@>>6CE]k^Am
kAmxE QD9@F=5 ?@H DH:> FA E96 }@CH68:2? 4@2DE E@H2C5 E96 pC4E:4Q[ 25565 E96 6?EC6AC6?6FC[ H9@ >256 96C 7@CEF?6 :? 9@CD6 C24:?8]k^Am
kAm%96 H92=6 H2D 7:CDE DA@EE65 DEF4< @? 2 D2?532?< @? |2C49 ab ?62C E96 4:EJ @7 {F6364<[ @? v6C>2?JVD q2=E:4 $62 4@2DE[ 367@C6 7C66:?8 :ED6=7 2?5 E96? 364@>:?8 DEF4< 282:? D6G6C2= E:>6D]k^Am
kAm'2C:@FD 2EE6>AED E@ D2G6 :E 925 72:=65[ 2?5 2FE9@C:E:6D 925 2??@F?465 E96J H6C6 8:G:?8 FA \\ AC@>AE:?8 (2=E6C\|@>>6CE 2?5 2?@E96C H62=E9J 6?EC6AC6?6FC E@ DE6A :?]k^Am
kAm%96J 42>6 FA H:E9 H92E >2?J D2H 2D 2 =@?8\D9@E A=2?i 4@2I E96 H92=6 :?E@ E96 H2E6C\7:==65 9@=5 @7 2 DA64:2= 32C86 2?5 E@H :E 324< E@ :ED ?2EFC2= 923:E2E]k^Am
kAm$@>6 6IA6CED 4C:E:4:D65 E96 AC:G2E6=J 7:?2?465 C6D4F6 A=2?[ D2J:?8 :E H@F=5 @?=J 42FD6 E96 2?:>2= >@C6 5:DEC6DD]k^Am
kAmqFE E96 A=2? 2AA62C65 E@ 92G6 DF4466565 282:?DE E96 @55D[ 2D E96 H92=6 =67E E96 32C86 7C@> (:D>2C q2J @? E96 q2=E:4 4@2DE 2E 2C@F?5 gicd 2> W_ecd v|%X[ @C82?:D6CD D2:5]k^Am
k9am\ (66<D\=@?8 D282Â \k^9am
kAm%@ 86E E96 H92=6 @?E@ E96 32C86[ C6D4F6CD 925 2EE24965 DEC2AD E@ :E 2?5 962G65 :E 5@H? 2 492??6= E92E 925 366? DA64:2==J 5F8 :? E96 D2?5 E@ 2==@H :E E@ C6249 E96 G6DD6=]k^Am
kAm#6D4F6CD E96? DH2> 2=@?8D:56 :E 2D :E DA65 FA 2?5 6?E6C65 E96 32C86 \\ DA2C<:?8 4966CD 7C@> E96 4C@H5 H2E49:?8 7C@> D9@C6]k^Am
kAm%96 32C86 :562 H2D 92E4965 27E6C E96 6?EC6AC6?6FCDV :?:E:2= 2EE6>AE E@ D2G6 E96 H92=6 H:E9 :?7=2E23=6 4FD9:@?D 2?5 A@?E@@?D H2D F?DF446DD7F=]k^Am
kAm~77:4:2=D 82G6 E96 8C66? =:89E 7@C E96 C6D4F6 27E6C G6E6C:?2C:2?D D2:5 E96 H92=6 H2D 7:E E@ 36 EC2?DA@CE65]k^Am
kAm%96 D282 92D 5C2H? ?@?\DE@A 4@G6C286 7C@> %' 492??6=D[ @?=:?6 @FE=6ED 2?5 D@4:2= >65:2 :?7=F6?46CD \\ 3FE 92D 2=D@ =65 E@ 2?8CJ DA2ED 2?5 4@?DA:C24J E96@C:6D 23@FE 9@H E96 H92=6 8@E @77 EC24< :? E96 7:CDE A=246]k^Am
kAm;A=^249^;93k^Am
