Timmy the humpback whale has begun a crucial journey towards the North Sea aboard a barge, after months stranded in shallow German waters. The operation aims to return the mammal to its natural Atlantic Ocean habitat. First spotted near Germany 's Baltic Sea coast on 3 March, Timmy's health deteriorated from repeated strandings , far from its usual home. Unsuccessful efforts to coax it into deeper waters were widely livestreamed. In the latest rescue attempt, teams spent hours on Tuesday carefully pulling the whale onto a flooded barge using straps and a dredged channel, the German press agency dpa reported. The barge reached Fehmarn island in northern Germany , near Danish waters, early Wednesday, Bild reported. Its route will take it around Denmark 's northern tip, via the Skagerrak strait, towards the North Sea .…