Lost whale – rescuers want to lure orca out of the Seine – News

  • An orca has been swimming in the Seine for weeks.
  • With the help of whale sounds, helpers are now trying to guide the lost animal towards the sea.

A group of scientists, police and fire brigade, among others, started the operation at the weekend near the northern French coast, as announced by the responsible prefecture of Seine-Maritime based in Rouen.

It was initially unclear whether the campaign would be successful. “It’s experimental,” said bioacoustics researcher Charlotte Curé. “We’re not at all sure that this will work, but it’s worth trying.”

Because the animal is already so weak, the authorities, after consulting experts, decided to use the unusual noise method. This avoids using a ship at close range, which could increase the stress level of the animal.

Legend:

The orca is now extremely weakened by the hardships.

Reuters

The whale sounds are played underwater with a loudspeaker when used. The research teams then want to look from boats some distance away to see how the orca reacts to the sounds – whether it’s attracted to them or hesitant. Why the animal appeared in the Seine is unclear.

Spotted in early April


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According to the Marine Mammal Research Group (GEEC), the whale was first sighted in early April by the crew of a trawler about 30 kilometers off the Normandy coast. The video recordings are clear. There is no doubt that it is an orca. Since then, the orca has been spotted time and time again along the coast, in the Seine estuary and even some 60 kilometers upstream in the Seine near Yainville.

Orcas are more commonly found off the coasts of Scotland, Iceland and Norway, and further south in the Atlantic Ocean in the Bay of Biscay, a GEEC expert explained. But instead of moving toward the sea, the orca keeps swimming back and forth, the prefecture said. The animal is extremely weak and has little chance of survival.

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