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Dozens of rescuers watched a whale suspended in a net in what French officials described as “an unprecedented operation” to save the 13-foot mammal.
After hours of lifting, a crane had pulled the whale out of the Seine before sunrise, in the first phase of a mission to rescue belugas trapped in the river northwest of Paris. The next step was to bring him back to shore in a refrigerated truck.
But despite a massive operation that mobilized 80 people — divers, scientists, police officers and firefighters — the local prefecture was dead announced early Wednesday that the beluga had died.
A sick beluga whale that strayed into the Seine died on August 10 trying to return it to the sea off northern France, authorities said. (Video: Portal)
After realizing he was too weak to survive, authorities decided to euthanize the suffering animal, they said. It wasn’t clear how the whale, which weighed more than 1,700 pounds, had strayed so far from the arctic waters that make up its natural habitat.
Vets had been waiting ashore to examine the mammal, which has fascinated viewers after being stuck in north-west France for days. Crowds formed on the banks of the river in Normandy to watch the operation.
On the coast near the English Channel, a command center monitored how rescuers planned to treat the whale before releasing it back into the water.
But far from the frigid waters to which its protected species is accustomed, the whale’s health deteriorated on the truck.
“During the trip, the vets noticed a deterioration in his condition, particularly in his respiratory functions,” said vet Florence Ollivet-Courtois. She said the beluga spent days in an unsuitable environment, citing the river’s temperatures, pollution and boats.
“The operation was started because it was the last chance. If we left him, he would be doomed to certain death,” she said at a news conference. “So we tried to save him. Unfortunately we didn’t succeed.”
Marine Conservation Members The group and rescuers tried to feed the whale earlier this week to help it return down the river to the English Channel. They had expressed fears that the weakened animal would starve to death in the water.
Shortly after the crane had hoisted it out of the Seine, the non-profit organization Sea Shepherd France arrived said the beluga did not have any contagious diseases, but was unable to digest food for reasons that are unclear.
Sea Shepherd thanked the local authorities for attempting the delicate operation.
“It is with a heavy heart that we announce that the beluga did not survive the transfer, which was risky but essential to give an otherwise condemned animal a chance,” it said.
Sightings of belugas in rivers are rare, but in 2018 a whale nicknamed Benny sparked a similar rescue mission in Britain’s River Thames.
According to the Natural History Museum, other arctic animals have also been spotted in Europe in recent years, including a walrus nicknamed Wally.
“Although it is too early to say if the increase in Arctic wildlife in European waters is part of a growing trend, an increase in melting ice, movement of prey and stormy weather have all been linked to changes in the distribution of these animals .” said the museum.
Rick Noack contributed to this report.