Whale strandings: '"In shore, their weight becomes lethal': Why it's so hard to help a stranded whale"
Ally Hirschlag BBC 16/6/2026 The sad fate of a stranded humpback in Germany raises bigger questions about distressed whales – and how to help them. Getty Images On 14 May 2026, the carcass of a 12-metre-long humpback whale washed up in the shallows of Anholt, a small island near Denmark. It rocked back and forth in the waves, occasionally pecked at by seagulls. Denmark's Environmental Protection Agency confirmed it was Timmy, whose almost two-month-long rescue saga had turned into a viral cautionary tale. Timmy's name came from Timmendorfer Strand, the German beach with the sandbank where the humpback whale was initially sighted. He was partially entangled in a fishing net but remained submerged enough to survive for over a month. During that time, and through several failed rescue attempts, he amassed millions of avid fans worldwide, rallying for his life. After assessing Timmy's condition, the International Whaling Commiss...