A rare beluga whale has found itself in France’s River Seine, far away from its natural habitat in the Arctic waters. No one knows how or why this whale ended up in the Seine, but it appears to be malnourished as rescuers struggle to save it.
These endangered animals are usually found in the Arctic waters, where they hunt in pods. They are often found near river mouths venturing inland to feed on species such as salmon. They tend to be extremely sociable animals, so seeing a single beluga outside of its range is a cause for concern.
French rescuers desperately trying to save the trapped whale say that there is little hope for survival.
‘The environment is not very welcoming for the beluga, the Seine is very polluted and cetaceans are extremely sensitive to noise,’ said Lamya Essemlali, head of the non-profit marine conservation organisation Sea Shepherd. ‘The urgency is to feed the whale to prevent it from suffering.’
Rescuers tried feeding the malnourished animal, but it just swam past the offering of frozen herring and live trout. Rescuers hoped that a cocktail of how energy vitamins administered on Saturday would help the animal regain its appetite and the energy to return to sea.
According to an update from Sea Shepherd on 8 August, the beluga has ‘no worsening of its condition’ and that ‘it is alert but not eating’. Rescuers are now considering desperate efforts of extracting the whale from the Seine’s warm waters, which is harming its health.
The nearest beluga population to the Seine is off the Svalbard archipelago north of Norway, 3 000 km away, according to France’s Pelagis Observatory. Even if the beluga does manage to leave the Seine, it still has a long way back to its natural habitat.
Pictures: Sea Shepherd France
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