Danes try to tow dead whale from island beach after failed German rescue

Danish environment officials have begun an operation to move the carcass of a humpback whale from an island beach across the sea to mainland Denmark. The dead whale was discovered on the shores of Anholt island last weekend, two weeks after a private mission to save the humpback from being stranded on Germany's Baltic Sea coast ended in failure. Denmark's environmental protection agency said the carcass, not far from the beach, was causing significant disruption, and decided it should be transported by sea to the port of Grenaa, about 57km (35 miles) to the south-west. Islanders had earlier been urged to keep away from the whale because of the risk of infection. One woman on Anholt said before the operation to move it had begun: "It's around 20-30m (65-100ft) from the beach but it's drifting along the beach." The whale has gained in size in recent days because of a build-up of gas as the carcass decomposes, and there is widespread concern it might explode. "That's nature. I know some people are worried, but I'm not," the islander told the BBC. Early on Thursday, an emergency response team arrived off the coast of Anholt to begin the operation to move the whale, first by towing the