A humpback whale, nicknamed "Timmy," was successfully released into the North Sea by a rescue team after being stranded in shallow waters off Germany since March. The whale, far from its natural Atlantic habitat, had repeatedly become stuck near Wismar, with its health deteriorating before the successful rescue operation.

A rescue team on Saturday released from a barge in the North Sea a humpback whale that had been stranded in shallow waters near Germany since March, witnesses said. Nicknamed “Timmy” by German media, the whale was spotted swimming near Germany’s Baltic Sea coast on March 3, far from its natural habitat in the Atlantic Ocean. The mammal’s health deteriorated as it became repeatedly stranded in shallow waters near the coastal city of Wismar, and unsuccessful efforts to coax it towards deeper seas....