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EnvironmentDenmark to process stranded humpback whale 'Timmy' into biodiesel, flour, and museum exhibit
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The remains of the humpback whale known as 'Timmy,' which washed up dead on the Danish island of Anholt, are being transported to a factory in Randers, Denmark, for processing. At the Daka facility, the whale's components are separated: water is cleaned and discharged, fat is converted into biodiesel, and bones, tendons, and skin are processed into flour for combustion in a cement factory. Some bones will be preserved for the Natural History Museum in Copenhagen. An autopsy revealed the whale was female, but the cause of death remains unclear. The whale had been stranded multiple times off the German Baltic coast and was relocated to the North Sea by a private initiative in late April. Tracker data attached to the whale has been collected and is being evaluated, with findings to be released to the public once finalized.
Source report
After the autopsy of the humpback whale known as "Timmy" on the beach of the Danish island of Anholt, the removal of the animal's remains has begun. The carcass is now being transported to the mainland for processing at a Danish factory, while researchers await tracker data that could shed light on the whale's final journey.
Processing at Daka Factory
At the Daka company's facility in Randers, Denmark, the remains of whales like "Timmy" are separated into three components, according to a company spokesman:
- Water: Cleaned and discharged into the fjord.
- Fat (including blubber): Converted into biodiesel.
- Bones, tendons, and skin: Processed into a type of flour, which is used as biomass for combustion in a cement factory.
Autopsy Findings
The humpback whale washed up dead on the beach on Anholt a few weeks ago. An autopsy conducted last week revealed that the whale was a female. However, the cause of death remains unclear.
During the examination, which lasted several hours, the whale was opened and cut into pieces. An excavator lifted the carcass parts into prepared containers. The remains were removed from the beach on Friday and transported away on Monday.
Museum Preservation
Some of the animal's bones will be added to the collection of the Natural History Museum in Copenhagen, the Danish capital. These parts were already collected on Friday.
Previous Stranding and Rescue Attempt
The animal was stranded off the German Baltic Sea coast several times starting at the end of March, including in the Bay of Lübeck and off the island of Poel. A private initiative transported the severely weakened humpback whale by ship to the North Sea at the end of April, where it was later released.
Tracker Data Awaited
The initiative had attached a tracker to the whale, which was later discovered on the animal. According to the Ministry of the Environment in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the tracker data has now been collected. A spokeswoman stated in response to a dpa inquiry that the data is available to the initiative in full and to the ministry in parts:
"The data should be finally evaluated as quickly as possible. As soon as this has happened, the public will be informed of the resulting findings."
Source: dpa
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Dead Whale Found in Denmark Likely Rescued German Humpback Timmy