Timmy, the stranded whale that captivated Germany, found dead in Denmark

The animal had recently been released in the North Sea after an expensive and controversial rescue operation

A humpback whale that underwent a rescue operation in Germany two weeks ago after beaching itself there has been found dead near a Danish island, officials said on Saturday.

“It can now be confirmed that the stranded humpback whale near Anholt is the same whale that was previously stranded in Germany and was the subject of rescue attempts,” said Jane Hansen, division head at the Danish Environmental Protection Agency.

The whale, dubbed “Timmy” in German media, was initially spotted stuck on a sandbank on March 23. After several failed attempts it was finally put in a barge and released into the North Sea off Denmark on May 2.

The whale carcass was first spotted off the coast of the Danish island Anholt in the Kattegat strait between Sweden and Denmark on Thursday, but authorities were at first unable to confirm it was the same whale.

“Conditions today made it possible for a local employee from the Danish Nature Agency to locate and retrieve an attached tracking device that was still fastened to the whale’s back,” Hansen said.

“The position and appearance of the device confirm that this is the same whale that had previously been observed and handled in German waters.”