BERLIN, April 28. /TASS/. Volunteers managed to load a humpback whale onto a barge after it spent nearly a month in shallow waters off Germany’s Baltic coast, according to a live broadcast by News5.

Around noon on Tuesday, volunteers began the final stage of the rescue operation. They turned the whale using ropes and guided it along a pre-dug channel to a special barge. "What some people didn't believe was possible just a few hours ago has now happened: the whale is on the barge, so the journey can begin," the TV host said.

A tugboat docked at a nearby port is expected to reach the barge. Footage from the broadcast shows the team celebrating the completion of this stage with cheers. It is not yet known when the whale’s transport will begin.

The whale, nicknamed Timmy, had been stranded in shallow waters off the island of Poel in northern Germany since March 31. For most of that time, it barely moved until volunteers began organizing a new rescue operation. On April 20, the whale broke free from the shallows due to rising water levels in the bay and swam freely for about two hours before settling again on the sandy bottom near the entrance to Wismar Bay. Rescuers then revised their plan, opting to transport the whale by barge.