The pressure is increasing: While helpers try to tow the whale away from the coast of Anholt Island, the carcass continues to swell. “This is dangerous,” warns whale expert Fabian Ritter.
May 21, 2026, 2:07 p.mMay 21, 2026, 2:07 p.m
Matti Hartmann / t-online
The situation is coming to a head off the Danish island of Anholt: On Thursday morning, the decaying body of the humpback whale known as Timmy was reminiscent of a balloon about to burst. “The whale can explode at any minute,” whale expert Fabian Ritter tells t-online. “The risk of explosion is already present.”
Ritter says he wouldn’t advise anyone to dare go near the sea giant filled with gases. The pressure has been rising continuously for days and has now reached a critical point. “It’s really dangerous now.”
Humpback Whale Timmy: Is the autopsy at risk?
Meanwhile, attempts are underway to recover the whale carcass and bring it to the harbor in the small town of Grenaa, around 50 kilometers away. According to Ritter, a rope has already been attached to the fluke. A ship is supposed to carry the dead animal away so that it does not endanger bathers on the beach at Anholt. The further plan is to dismantle the carcass in the port of Grenaa, after which the whale will be autopsied. So far, however, several attempts have failed because Timmy appears to be stuck again.
Timmy is lying bloated on the beach.Image: News5
But given the acute risk of explosion, can removal still be possible safely? Ritter says: “The best thing would probably be if the body opened slightly during transport and gases escaped without the whale exploding.” If this does not happen and the whale arrives in Grenaa in a bloated state, there is still the option of puncturing the dead body with a lance. “But that is not without danger either,” explains Ritter.
As Danish media report, the port is preparing for the whale’s arrival. If all goes well, the animal should reach the port on Thursday evening and be taken to a safe area. Those responsible are urgently calling on the population to stay away from the port.