The carcass of a humpback whale found off the Danish island of Anholt after it was released by German rescuers in the North Sea will be autopsied at its current location, authorities said on Thursday, the latest twist in a saga that has gripped Germany for months.
Danish officials last week attempted to tow the whale into deeper water so it could be transported to a port in Jutland. But in an unfortunate echo of the animal’s final weeks alive, the carcass became stranded once again on a sandbank.
“The whale will be hauled ashore over the course of this weekend,” said Jane Hansen of the Danish Environmental Protection Agency. The autopsy, scientific examinations, and disposal of the carcass are scheduled to take place on the tourist beach at the end of next week.
The whale — bloated with decomposition gases — was discovered lying close to the beach on Anholt around two weeks ago. Danish officials have warned the public that the carcass is at risk of it exploding.
The weakened whale had previously been stranded several times off Germany's Baltic coast, before a private initiative transported it alive to the North Sea and released it.
