Public autopsy of stranded humpback whale Timmy to be open for viewing on Anholt beach

The autopsy of Timmy, a humpback whale that washed ashore on the Danish island of Anholt, will be conducted in public view on Thursday, June 4, the Danish Environmental Protection Agency announced.

Jane Hansen, head of office at the agency, confirmed in a statement to Ritzau that spectators will be permitted to observe the procedure, with verbal updates provided throughout. The examination is expected to take place between 16:00 and 17:00 local time.

Veterinarians, experts, and researchers from Danish museums and universities will perform the autopsy and related scientific investigations. However, Hansen emphasized that the public must maintain a respectful distance and adhere to the cordoned-off area around the whale. The carcass will be removed responsibly afterward.

Timmy first stranded in March off Germany’s North Sea coast. After initial rescue attempts by German authorities failed, a private group funded an operation to transport the whale—dubbed Timmy by German media—by barge through Danish waters for release in the Skagerrak. Hopes that the whale would recover and reach the North Sea were dashed when it stranded lifeless off Anholt in mid-May.

A previous attempt to relocate the carcass to Grenaa Harbor was abandoned due to adverse weather. The whale was instead hauled onto Anholt’s shore last Saturday. Morten Abildstrøm, a ranger with the Danish Nature Agency, noted that while the autopsy may not definitively determine the cause of death, the whale’s presence on a popular swimming beach posed a public nuisance.