BERLIN - German rescuers launched a fresh bid on Tuesday to free a humpback whale stranded for a month off the country's coast, aiming to transport the cetacean to deeper waters in a barge.
The 13-metre whale and its struggle for survival have gripped Germany since it beached on a sandbank near the city of Luebeck far from its natural habitat in late March.
The rescue -- financed by two entrepreneurs -- will involve loading the sea mammal onto a special barge to carry it from Germany's Baltic Sea coast to deeper waters in the North Sea.
As the bid got underway, rescuers in diving suits could be seen attaching straps to the whale and then attempting to drag it through the water towards the vessel.
Once the mammal is on the barge, "we can hopefully begin the journey," said Till Backhaus, environment minister for the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.
"Ideally, by sunset, we should have the whale on the barge".
He had earlier given the green light for the operation after vets examined the creature, dubbed "Timmy" by German media, and said it was medically fit to be transported.
The whale was first spotted stuck on a sandbank on March 23 before freeing itself and then becoming stuck again several times.
At the start of April, officials gave up on the animal, saying they believed it could not be saved.
But this triggered an outcry and authorities were persuaded to let the entrepreneurs come up with a rescue plan.
Some scientists have strongly criticised the decision to allow further rescue bids, believing they will be too risky for the whale and estimating the chances of success as low.
But Backhaus defended the latest rescue bid, saying it was "definitely worth it".
"I've always said, those who do nothing make no mistakes," he added.
The saga has sparked a media frenzy -- with non-stop coverage from TV channels, online outlets and social media influencers -- but has also led to angry spats and conspiracy theories.
- AFP