Timmy the stranded whale rescued after weekslong effort

Animals Timmy the stranded whale rescued after weekslong effort May 2, 20264:51 PM ET By  Alana Wise An aerial photo taken on May 2, 2026 shows Timmy, the rescued humpback whale, offshore near Skagen after being released from a barge. The whale was first spotted stuck on a sandbank on March 23 near the city of Lübeck before freeing itself and then becoming stuck again several times. Sebastian Peters/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Sebastian Peters/Getty Images Timmy, the humpback whale that made global headlines since being stranded in shallow waters for several weeks, was released into the North Sea on Saturday. The 40-foot-long internet phenomenon had been wallowing in shallow waters near Germany since March. According to the New York Times, Saturday's daring rescue mission was the 5th staged attempt to shuttle Timmy back into deeper water. The newspaper reports that the rescue was funded by two German millionaires who commissioned a massive, water-filled barge to transport Timmy to freedom. Sponsor Message Short Wave We saved gray whales from extinction. Why are so many dying again? Footage of Timmy's release shows the whale puffing spurts of water from its blowhole as it made its way into the watery expanse. Comments under the post were filled with well wishes from fans who sent the whale hope for a long and healthy life. But some experts warned that Timmy's health had been compromised to the point that a return to open waters might simply delay the animal's inevitable death and prolong its suffering. The International Whaling Commission had repeatedly criticized efforts to move Timmy from the shallow waters where he had been found, arguing that "these interventions, although well meant, impose very considerable additional stress upon a creature that is already gravely ill, to little ultimate benefit." Science Scientists watch sperm whales work as a team to assist a birth After Saturday's successful release, the IWC said it could acknowledge "the c...