DNA analysis confirms dead humpback whale was Timmy

A new DNA analysis has confirmed that the humpback whale found dead near the Danish island of Anholt was indeed Timmy, the whale previously involved in a high-profile rescue operation.

Molecular geneticist Bertram Brenig from the University of Göttingen conducted a re-evaluation of DNA datasets that had previously caused significant confusion. While veterinarian Kirsten Tönnies had suggested in July that the samples might not even belong to the same species, Brenig’s analysis found a 99.91 percent match between the sample taken from the living whale during its transport and the sample taken from the carcass on Anholt.

Experts noted that a 99.91 percent similarity indicates the samples are “practically identical” and belong to the same individual. The findings clarify the fate of the female whale, which had been moved from the Baltic Sea toward the North Sea earlier this year.