Timmy was a Timea according to autopsy

The recent stranding of a humpback whale, affectionately nicknamed "Timmy," in Germany has concluded with a surprising revelation from its autopsy: the whale was female. This finding directly contradicts the assertions of a private rescue initiative that had confidently declared "Timmy" to be male.

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We are sure: Timmy is a male.

The self-proclaimed rescuers had publicly stated their certainty about the whale's gender in mid-April. However, the autopsy conducted on the Danish island of Anholt clearly showed the presence of a uterus, confirming its female identity. This discrepancy has led to questions about the rescuers' methods and motivations.

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Have they guessed, or do they have no idea about whales?

Experts had previously warned against attempting to determine a whale's sex visually, as the anatomical features can be misleading. The autopsy revealed that while both male and female humpback whales have genital folds, the female possesses a grapefruit-sized protrusion near the vaginal opening, which was not visible when the animal was stranded on its belly. Furthermore, initial signs suggested it was female, as male whales typically extend their penis when deceased, which did not occur in this case. DNA analysis could have provided a definitive answer, but this was not pursued by the rescue team.

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Maybe it just fit better into the hero story of the young daredevil who took a wrong turn out of eagerness during his world exploration and now had to be saved.