More than five weeks after a humpback whale became stranded in shallow waters on the German coast, a barge has ferried the animal out of German waters, en route to the North Sea.
The final operation to save the whale is being closely followed across Germany, after the failure of earlier attempts to lure it away from the coast.
The whale was coaxed into the water-filled barge on Tuesday, in a mission funded by two German entrepreneurs.
Marine experts have largely distanced themselves from the operation. An expert International Whaling Commission panel said such plans were well meant, but the animal looked "severely compromised and unlikely to survive even if moved to deeper water".
Despite the scepticism surrounding the whale's fate, those involved in the operation were delighted with its success.
