Rescuers transport stranded whale by barge to freedom in North Sea

A humpback whale that had been struggling to survive after beaching near the German coast was released into the North Sea off Denmark on Saturday after being transported in a barge, a member of a rescue mission said. Dubbed "Timmy" by the German media, the whale was first spotted stuck on a sandbank on March 23 near the city of Luebeck before freeing itself and then becoming stuck again several times. Watch moreScientists, authorities divided over fate of stranded whale in Baltic Sea The whale left the barge it had been towed on from Wismar Bay on the Baltic coast at around 8:45am (0645 GMT), said Karin Walter-Mommert from the rescue initiative. It is now swimming on its own and freely, and at least for the time being, in the right direction, she said. At the start of April, German officials gave up on trying to rescue the animal, saying they believed it could not be saved. But this triggered an outcry and authorities were persuaded to approve a privately financed rescue plan proposed by two wealthy entrepreneurs. The barge idea was hatched after their initial attempt to save the whale with inflatable cushions and pontoons was unsuccessful. Read moreThe