Paris, Europe Brief News – An underweight beluga whale was stuck in the River Seine in France, regional authorities revealed.
The whale was first spotted on Tuesday in the river that flows through the French capital to the English Channel, and follows the rare appearance of a killer whale in the Seine just over two months ago.
The protected species, usually found in cold Arctic waters, had made its way up the waterway and reached a lock some 70km (44 miles) from Paris.
French rescue services, firefighters and biodiversity officials mobilised swiftly and kept a close eye on the whale throughout the day to evaluate the “worrying” health of the mammal, the local prefecture said on Thursday.
The whale – which is currently between the Poses and Saint-Pierre-la-Garenne dams, about 70km north-west of Paris – seems to be underweight and have “skin changes”.
Gerard Mauger, deputy head of French Marine Mammal Research Group said the mammal spent “very little time on the surface” and appeared to have good lung capacity. But he said rescuers were struggling to guide the whale to the mouth of the Seine.
Officials did not specify the size, but an adult beluga can reach up to 4 metres (13ft) long.
Authorities in Normandy’s Eure department urged people to keep their distance to avoid distressing the animal.
In late May, the killer whale – also known as an orca, but technically part of the dolphin family – was found dead in the Seine between Le Havre and Rouen. The animal had found itself stranded in the river and was unable to make its way back to the ocean despite attempts by officials to guide it.
