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Experts autopsied the humpback whale known as "Timmy" on the beach on the island of Anholt.
Image: dpa
Weeks ago, the dead humpback whale known as "Timmy" washed up off the Danish island of Anholt, and now researchers have completed an autopsy. What will happen to the whale's remains?
The humpback whale known as "Timmy" made headlines for weeks, but now only the remains of the animal are left. The eagerly awaited autopsy of the humpback whale on the beach of the Danish island of Anholt was completed late on Thursday evening, and the team of experts was initially unable to determine a clear cause of death, as Danish biologist Charlotte Bie Thøstesen, who was present at the autopsy, told reporters. There was no evidence of injury, for example, but this could also be due to the decomposition of the animal, which had been dead for weeks. Although parasites were found, they were not responsible for the death.
It is now clear that the whale with the male name is, as suspected, a female. And: A clear cause of death could not initially be determined.
The final step is now pending on the vacation island where the dead whale was washed up around three weeks ago: the removal of the remains. However, the containers with the remains are not due to be collected until the next few days.
The autopsy of the humpback whale known as "Timmy" on the beach of the Danish island of Anholt has begun.
Image: Keystone/dpa/Kai Moorschlatt
Equipped with protective suits, the experts began the autopsy on Thursday afternoon. First, the yellow-brownish carcass was examined and measured. It was then cut open with a long knife to release air from the bloated animal. The whale was then opened and cut up. At times, organs and intestines were lying around the animal.
The team of experts was initially unable to determine a clear cause of death during the examinations, as Danish biologist Charlotte Bie Thøstesen, who was present at the autopsy, told reporters late in the evening. However, this is not unusual, as it is often very difficult to determine a clear cause of death for carcasses like this one, said veterinary surgeon Tim Jensen from the University of Copenhagen.
An injury, for example, was not recognizable, but this was also due to the decomposition. Although parasites were found, they were not responsible for the death.
It is now also clear that the animal - as already suspected - is a female. The uterus was discovered. However, the whale had not been pregnant in recent months, it was said. Jensen explained that a look inside the whale's mouth and stomach did not reveal any nets or other objects.
As planned, the team also took samples, for example from the kidneys and liver, and meticulously examined the inside of the whale, which had already been badly damaged by the animal, which had been decomposing for weeks, as pictures showed. "We have taken tissue samples and they are now being analyzed," said Jensen. However, results are only expected in the coming months.
During the autopsy, an excavator gradually lifted the parts of the carcass into the prepared containers. This completed the team's work and the experts left the island in the morning. After the autopsy, the last remains of the whale were cleared away in the dark.
For the experienced team, such a procedure is a standard procedure, but one that is very valuable, said biologist Thøstesen in the afternoon. Humpback whales are animals that are difficult to study in their natural habitat in the sea. "So when we find stranded whales here in Denmark, we use them to gain knowledge about the animals living in the wild," said Thøstesen.
The remains of the carcass are now waiting to be collected. The containers are expected to be removed early next week, according to Morten Abildstrøm from the Danish Nature Agency. Removal at the weekend makes little sense due to the limited opening hours of the companies responsible, he said.
The animal's carcass had been lying off the vacation island for weeks, bloated with putrefactive gases and mauled by seagulls - so the autopsy was not for the faint-hearted.
Whale carcasses are usually processed by a company such as Daka Denmark. A spokesperson recently explained that the remains of whales are separated into their component parts in a factory. However, the company has not yet received an order for the recycling of the carcasses, it said on Wednesday.
However, not everything will be disposed of: according to Thøstesen, some of the animal's bones will be added to the collection of the Natural History Museum in the Danish capital Copenhagen. These include fin bones and pelvic bones.
05.06.2026, 01:14
05.06.2026, 08:09
