BRUSSELS, May 15. /TASS/. Danish authorities believe that the whale found off the coast of the island of Anholt in the North Sea may be Timmy, whose fate had previously drawn worldwide attention, Bild reported.
According to the newspaper, a dead whale was discovered on the coast of Anholt. Danish authorities believe it could be Timmy, a whale that had been released into the sea about 200 kilometers from the location where it was found. However, the animal has not yet been officially identified.
Local authorities have warned people not to approach the carcass because of the danger posed by gases accumulating inside the whale’s body, which could potentially cause an explosion.
The approximately 15-ton whale was first spotted on a sandbar near the town of Timmendorfer Strand on March 23. It later managed to reach deeper waters, partly with the assistance of rescue workers.
From late March, the whale remained almost motionless for several weeks in the shallow waters of a bay near the island of Poel. Experts concluded that the animal was unlikely to survive, and active rescue efforts were subsequently suspended.
In mid-April, however, the Environment Ministry of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania authorized volunteers to attempt another rescue operation. On April 28, rescuers succeeded in loading the whale onto a barge, which later transported it to the North Sea, where Timmy was released.