Berlin, May 18, (dpa/GNA) – A dead humpback whale known as Timmy, is expected to remain off the Danish island of Anholt, authorities said on Monday, as bathers were seen climbing onto the decomposing carcass and posing for photos over the weekend. The animal is located in Danish waters, just offshore, and local authorities assume it will stay there, a spokesman for the environment ministry of the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern said.
The whale had been transported alive toward the North Sea by a private initiative more than two weeks ago, in a complex operation that attracted worldwide attention.
Around two weeks later, it was found dead off Anholt. Officials believe the whale has been dead for at least a week, likely longer. Its advanced state of decomposition would complicate both any attempt to move the carcass and a detailed examination, the German ministry said. Authorities are seeking to retrieve a tracking device attached to the whale and analyse its data, which could provide insights into how long the animal survived and where it had been.
Karin Walter-Mommert, one of the donors who helped fund the private rescue effort off the German coast, has offered to support such an analysis. The transmitter is currently in the possession of Danish environmental authorities. Those authorities have already said there are no plans to remove the whale or carry out a more detailed examination.
The whale has attracted the curious and the reckless, with some swimming out to the carcass to get a closer look and even posing for photos on top of it, sparking outrage online.
Experts warn dead whales are known to explode because gases build up during decomposition, and cannot escape through the thick layer of blubber.
Denmark’s Nature Agency said it understood the public interest but stressed the need to keep a safe distance and avoid approaching it, not least because it may carry diseases transmissible to humans.
GNA