1660120664 France Lost white whale pulled out of the Seine

France: Lost white whale pulled out of the Seine

In a dramatic rescue operation, French emergency services lifted the marine mammal, which is about four meters long and weighs about 800 kilograms, at night in a hammock with the help of a crane from the lock in the French municipality of Saint -Pierre-la-Garenne, as reported by journalists from the AFP news agency. Several vets immediately took care of the beluga whale.

The whale was first spotted on the Seine on Tuesday last week and has been trapped in a lock in Saint-Pierre-La-Garenne since Friday, about 70 kilometers from Paris – 130 kilometers from the Seine estuary, in the English Channel. According to experts, the animal cannot survive for long in hot, fresh water. The animal is in terrible condition and “terribly” thin, according to Deputy Mayor Isabelle Dorliat-Pouzet.

Veterinarians beside beluga whale rescued from the Seine

APA/AFP/Jean-François Monier According to rescuers, the animal is significantly weakened

Animal rights activists came up with the idea of ​​taking the marine mammal out of the river and transporting it to a seawater tank, before releasing it back into the sea. It took about six hours to finally get the animal out of the water, AFP reported. About 80 people were involved in the rescue, including 24 divers. The interest and willingness to donate in France is enormous. Among other things, the marine conservation organization Sea Shepherd has collected donations.

Power has failed so far

In recent days, several attempts to feed the emaciated and weakened animal have been unsuccessful. According to experts, your lack of appetite could be a sign of illness. The whale must be studied and cared for for a few days in a seawater tank in the Channel town of Ouistreham.

Lost white whale pulled out of the Seine

The beluga whale stranded on the River Seine in northern France was rescued in the first phase of an ambitious rescue operation, according to an AFP journalist. A dozen veterinarians and 24 divers were involved in the rescue operation. The beluga, a protected species normally found in the cold waters of the Arctic, is about to be released into the sea.

However, the stress of the rescue operation can put additional strain on the weakened animal, warned against too much euphoria. Belugas, or white whales, can grow up to six meters long and weigh up to a ton. They live in arctic or subarctic waters, usually in groups, but occasionally swim further south in search of food.

Beluga whale being pulled out of the Seine using a net

APA/AFP/Jean-François Monier The whale, which weighs around 800 kilograms, was finally pulled out of the water with nets

According to experts, it is only the second time that a beluga whale has been lost in France. The first time a fisherman saw one in his nets was in 1948 in the Loire estuary.

Orca died in the Seine

In May, an operation to rescue an orca, or orca, that was also lost in the Seine failed in France. Originally, the animal was supposed to have been guided out to sea with the help of noises made by conspecifics. But that didn’t work.

An orca swims in the Seine in May 2022

Portal/Johanna Geron In May, an orca died after swimming aimlessly in the Seine (photo by Joumieges).

The orca’s health was poor, it was severely weakened and it appeared severely disoriented, aerial photographs showing poor condition of its skin. Ultimately, the decision was made to euthanize the animal. The whale, which weighed several tons, died earlier in the Seine, as announced at the time by the Seine-Maritime municipality in Rouen.

In July, shortly after the orca’s death, another large whale was spotted in the Seine, in the estuary of the river near Le Havre in Normandy. Several ship crews reported an animal about ten meters tall, likely a fin whale, according to Rouen’s prefecture. It is not uncommon for individual animals to temporarily appear in the mouth, they also find food there. However, safety measures were taken, the ships had to keep a minimum distance. The whale disappeared back into the sea.