French experts and rescue services are trying to lure a killer whale lost in the Seine back to sea with whale sounds, the local prefecture of Seine-Maritime reports.
The marine mammal swims in freshwater in the river halfway between Le Havre and Rouen, about 60 kilometers from the ocean.
The orca just swims back and forth, appears very weakened and has little chance of survival. With the use of whale sounds, experts want to avoid having to use a ship for the rescue operation, which would add further stress to the weakened animal.
Possible young animal
According to the newspaper, the orca was La Voix du Nord first sighted on 16 May in the mouth of the Seine, between La Havre and Honfleur. The animal has also surfaced a few times off the French north coast. Orcas are commonly found along the coasts of Scotland, Iceland and Norway and further south in the Atlantic Ocean. It is not clear whether the orca strayed due to illness. It may be a young animal that has lost its group.
We are very concerned, his health situation is deteriorating
The animal is being tracked remotely with a drone, experts tell Reuters news agency. This was decided during a meeting between national and international scientists. By broadcasting special orca communication, an attempt is made to get the animal back to sea.
drone
“Thanks to the use of these methods, which we can deploy from hundreds of meters away, we do not have to use ships,” the prefecture of Seine-Maritime said in a statement. “This allows us to minimize the stress to which the animal is exposed.”
Experts aren’t very hopeful about the chances of returning the orca to the ocean. “We are very concerned. His health situation is deteriorating,” expert Gérard Mauger on behalf of the French marine mammal research group GECC told the French news agency AFP. “The longer the orca swims around in freshwater, the faster the animal deteriorates. It is difficult to find a way to return the orca to the saltwater.”
The orca is estimated to be between 4 and 5 meters long and it is probably a male.
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