The dead humpback whale known as “Timmy” will most likely remain lying off the Danish island of Anholt.
May 18, 2026, 1:16 p.mMay 18, 2026, 1:16 p.m
The animal was in Danish territory and the authorities there assumed that it would remain there, said a spokesman for the Environment Ministry of the German state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania on Monday. The whale was transported alive more than two weeks ago by a private initiative from the German coast towards the North Sea and was stranded dead off Anholt around two weeks later.
Humpback whale Timmy is dead.Image: facebook / OPSLAGSTAVLEN ANHOLT
It is believed that the whale has been dead for at least a week, probably longer, the ministry said. The state of decomposition would not only make possible transport, but also an investigation more difficult.
Ministry wants to evaluate broadcasters
The ministry is trying to get the transmitter found on the whale and evaluate the data. This could potentially provide information about how long the animal lived and where it was. Karin Walter-Mommert, one of the donors for the previous rescue from the German coast, promised the ministry the possibility of a corresponding evaluation. The Danish environmental authority still has the transmitter.
The Danish authorities had previously said there were no plans to remove the whale or examine the carcass more closely. The dead whale is not currently considered a problem. There is also the risk of an explosion. According to experts, dead whales can explode because decomposition produces gases that cannot escape through the thick layer of blubber in their skin.
At the weekend, bathers climbed onto the whale and posed for photos, as shown in footage from News5. (hkl/sda/dpa)