Danger from dead humpback whale "The animal could blow up with a big bang"

Humpback whale "Timmy" has been dead for days - and is now threatening to explode on the Danish coast. Such cases have been documented repeatedly. Can the danger still be defused?

DPA

23.05.2026, 19:36

dpa

According to an expert, there is now a high risk of explosion in the dead humpback whale lying on the Danish coast. "The pressure inside continues to build up, and at some point the animal could blow up with a big bang," whale researcher Fabian Ritter told the German Press Agency (dpa). "Such a situation is almost foreseeable."

Such cases have already been documented repeatedly - for example, when a sperm whale exploded in Taiwan while being transported to an autopsy in a city. "You wouldn't want to have stood in this rain of blood, particles and putrefactive gases," says Ritter.

"Timmy's" throat pouch is inflated like a balloon

According to the marine biologist, such a risk of explosion could be averted if the bloated carcass was punctured or cut open. However, such an intervention should have been carried out at an early stage, as it would already be risky now. And because of the thick skin and the layer of blubber underneath, it would usually require a lance or a large sharp knife.

However, pictures of the humpback whale known as "Timmy" show that the throat pouch in particular is inflated like a balloon. Its skin is folded like an accordion and extremely elastic and can expand like a balloon. "That would probably be the best place for a targeted cut. But even that wouldn't be entirely safe."

According to Ritter, it is also possible that the situation could relax quite unspectacularly: A natural tear could form in the tissue, allowing the gases to escape without exploding.