Timmy the Whale Was Released into the Sea After Being Stranded Off the German Coast For Weeks. Was That the Right Call?

Danny Gohlke / AFP via Getty Images. A humpback whale nicknamed Timmy made headlines after being stranded for weeks off the coast of Germany. Finally, on May 2, the massive animal was released into the North Sea.

While the operation has been heralded as a success by some, many whale experts have criticized it. Timmy seemed in poor health, and now, no one knows if the creature is still alive.

The International Whaling Commission (IWC) called the final rescue attempt “inadvisable” in an April 28 statement. “In our assessment, these interventions, although well meant, impose very considerable additional stress upon a creature that is already gravely ill, to little ultimate benefit.”