Timmy, the humpback whale that made global headlines since being stranded in shallow waters for several weeks, was released into the North Sea on Saturday.
The 40-foot-long internet phenomenon had been wallowing in shallow waters near Germany since March. According to the New York Times, Saturday's daring rescue mission was the 5th staged attempt to shuttle Timmy back into deeper water.
The newspaper reports that the rescue was funded by two German millionaires who commissioned a massive, water-filled barge to transport Timmy to freedom.
Footage of Timmy's release shows the whale puffing spurts of water from its blowhole as it made its way into the watery expanse. Comments under the post were filled with well wishes from fans who sent the whale hope for a long and healthy life.
But some experts warned that Timmy's health had been compromised to the point that a return to open waters might simply delay the animal's inevitable death and prolong its suffering.
The International Whaling Commission had repeatedly criticized efforts to move Timmy from the shallow waters where he had been found, arguing that "these interventions, although well meant, impose very considerable additional stress upon a creature that is already gravely ill, to little ultimate benefit."
After Saturday's successful release, the IWC said it could acknowledge "the considerable technical, logistical and financial effort" the rescue required, but warned that this was not necessarily a fairytale ending to Timmy's story.
"Release into this area is the beginning of any recovery process, not its conclusion," the group said in a statement. "A successful rescue will become evident over time if the animal can swim, survive the serious physiological effects of prolonged stranding and transport, return to suitable habitat, resume normal feeding, and regain health."
Tagging data from a transmitter attached to Timmy before his release, the IWC said, will provide vital information about how well the humpback fares out in the wild and will help inform how rescue missions should be conducted in the future.
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