Sawt Falasteen - Rescue for whale stranded off German coast in 'decisive phase'

The 13.5-metre (44-foot) humpback whale's ordeal first began in late March when it was spotted stuck on a sandbank near the city of Luebeck. It first freed itself only to become stuck again further east along the German coast.

Earlier this month officials said they expected the animal to die, saying it had been too weakened by the odyssey to survive and make its way back to its natural habitat in the Atlantic.

However on Wednesday a last-ditch rescue effort proposed by two entrepreneurs was approved, set to involve lifting the whale using inflatable cushions and transporting it with pontoons.

On Friday Till Backhaus, environment minister for the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, said that the rescue had entered a "decisive phase" and that the whale would have a "chance" at survival.

On Friday the rescue team was seen approaching the whale near the island of Poel to take preparatory steps, as the animal showed an increased level of movement, including flapping its tail out of the water.

Backhaus said he was "pleased" that the whale was "in a better condition than some had suspected".

The rescue team say they are proceeding cautiously so as not to further distress the whale and that they can't say exactly when it might be lifted.

Coverage of the whale's struggle for survival and efforts to rescue it have gripped the German public, with some of the press calling him "Timmy".

Regular demonstrations have been held in support of the stricken creature, with protesters calling for rescue efforts to resume and some online posts targeting officials with death threats.

Previous rescue proposals, including the use of a catamaran, were ruled out because it was concluded the whale would probably not survive them.

S.Barghouti--SF-PST