BERLIN: Rescuers in Germany began an elaborate operation Thursday to save a sick humpback whale that has been repeatedly stranded off the Baltic Sea coast and has stirred up tons of attention across the country for weeks.
The whale, which has been nicknamed Timmy by local media, is lying in shallow waters near the eastern German town of Wismar and has barely moved for days. Many fear it may soon die.
Timmy was first spotted swimming in the region on March 3. It is not clear why the whale swam into the Baltic Sea, far from its natural habitat. Some experts say the animal may have lost its way while swimming after a shoal of herring or during migration.
The animal faces long odds in finding its way back out into the North Sea, a journey of several hundred kilometers (miles), and then to the Atlantic Ocean.
Previous rescue efforts have failed
