<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A rescue team released a humpback whale that had been stranded in shallow waters near </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/germany" rel="" target="" title="Germany "><span>Germany</span></a><span> since March from a barge in the North Sea witnesses said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Nicknamed Timmy by German media, the whale was spotted swimming near Germany’s Baltic Sea coast on March 3, far from its natural habitat in the Atlantic Ocean.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The mammal’s health deteriorated as it became repeatedly stranded in shallow waters near the coastal city of Wismar, and unsuccessful efforts to coax it toward deeper seas were livestreamed across the globe.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/man-arrested-three-people-killed-in-attack-sydney-rosemeadow/cf6c8972-f96c-46ae-b20d-e8cbe1c6924f"><strong><span>Man arrested after three family members killed in attack in Sydney home</span></strong></a><span></span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The environment minister for Germany’s Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania state gave the green light for the attempt to save the whale, proposed by a private initiative, despite some warnings from the scientific community that it may be too much for the animal.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Jens Schwarck, a member of the private initiative who was on site, said the whale was released about 9am local time on Saturday, according to the German news agency dpa.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The agency reported that the whale was released 70 kilometres from the coast of Skagen, Denmark.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/world/humpback-whale-timmy-released-in-the-north-sea-after-weeks-stranded-off-germany/b08db51c-78b0-429f-b10b-a455a8344c7d" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Drone footage showed a whale swimming and spouting water near the barge, though it was not immediately confirmed that the animal was indeed Timmy.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A debate emerged about whether to let the whale die in peace or try to assist its return to the Atlantic Ocean.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/jefferson-lewis-charged-murder-kumanjayi-little-baby/52a6fdc9-9bb9-40fc-83ff-58ddb3fd1638"><strong><span>Murder charges laid after death of five-year-old girl in NT</span></strong></a><span></span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Activists staged protests on the beach in Wismar calling for its liberation, while others have supported new ideas about how the whale could be transported.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Some scientists believe the </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/whales" rel="" target="" title="whale "><span>whale</span></a><span> had searched for shallow waters because it was weak and needed rest.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The veterinarians of the private initiative, however, considered the animal fit for transport.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Before the release, a GPS transmitter was reportedly attached to track the whale’s future location, according to dpa.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>It is not clear why the whale swam into the Baltic Sea, far from its natural habitat in the Atlantic Ocean.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/alice-springs-murder-charge-riots-kumanjayi-little-baby/4908888a-59f4-4111-ac16-240ca0a48565"><strong><span>Riot footage shows chaos in Alice Springs shop as five arrested</span></strong></a><span></span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Some experts say the animal may have lost its way while swimming after a shoal of herring or during migration.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Since then, the mammal became repeatedly stranded in shallow waters.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>It was in clear distress, breathing irregularly and often barely moving for days.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Timmy also suffered from a bad skin condition, related to the Baltic Sea’s low salt content, and rescuers applied kilos of zinc ointment.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Local media produced days long livestreams to feed the outsized public attention over the fate of the whale.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Online newspapers blasted push alerts with the smallest developments about Timmy’s health.</span></div></div>