The months-long ordeal of "Timmy" the humpback whale has moved from sandbank to ship. Rescuers off Germany's Baltic coast on Tuesday managed to guide the 35-foot, 12-ton animal onto a flooded barge, a key step in an effort to ferry the weakened whale to deeper, saltier waters where he actually belongs, reports the Guardian. The mission, financed by two wealthy backers and trailed closely by German media and crowds of onlookers, saw Timmy swim into his "travel cot" under his own power, drawing cheers and tears from the rescue team. One diver said he "was not the type to give up," while Bild splashed "Walelujah!" across its coverage.
Next up: a tugboat will haul the barge into the North Sea, where, if Timmy is deemed strong enough, he'll be released in the hope he can make it back to the Atlantic. A tracking device will monitor his movements. The rescue has drawn criticism from some marine experts, who say the sick, exhausted whale is unlikely to survive despite around-the-clock care that has included zinc ointment for skin lesions and fire hoses for hydration. Still, the vet overseeing the operation tells DW that Timmy is "in no way a doomed animal." The local environment minister says he's betting on a "happy end"—and on Timmy eventually finding his family again. "When he sees his mother again he's going to be in real trouble for having taken a wrong turn into the Baltic Sea where he doesn't belong."
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