A barge carrying a humpback whale stranded in Germany for weeks has reached Danish waters on its journey to the North Sea.
The tugboat pulling the water-filled barge entered Danish waters Wednesday afternoon.
It was located between the Danish islands of Samso and Sjaelland at 2 a.m. German time (0000 GMT) on Thursday, according to the Vessel Finder tracking website.
"The very worst is already behind him now," Backhaus told Germany's Bild newspaper on Wednesday.
Backhaus said the animal was "doing well" and had made sounds during the night.
Rescuers then pulled the whale onto the specially converted freight barge using straps.
Timmy's health deteriorated as the juvenile whale, thought to be between four and six years old, became repeatedly stranded in shallow waters.
The idea to coax the whale onto a barge and tow it to the North Sea was hatched after their initial attempt to save the whale with inflatable cushions and pontoons was unsuccessful.
Whale rescue attempt sparks heated debate Some scientists warned that this latest attempt may be too much for the animal.
Edited by: Zac Crellin Advertisement
