13-Foot Sick Killer Whale Lost in River Seine Dies Despite Rescue Efforts and Before Any Attempt at Euthanasia Was Made

A sick orca (killer whale) was discovered dead before marine specialists attempted to euthanize the animal following a failed rescue attempt in France's Seine River.

According to the northern Seine-Maritime prefecture in Rouen, the whale was spotted drifting in the river by a boatman Monday morning.

Sea Shepherd France, which confirmed the orca's death on Twitter that they were keeping an eye on the body to avoid being hit by a ship, which would jeopardize the autopsy, Phys reported.

Scientists Investigate Cause Of Death Of Dead Orca On West Auckland Beach — AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND - MARCH 14: An Orca is examined after it washed up at Whatipu Beach on March 14, 2017 in Auckland, New Zealand. A team from the Coastal - Marine Research Group at Massey University conduct a necropsy to establish cause of death, and take biological sample to assess diet and pollutant loads in the adult male whale. Fiona Goodall/Getty Images

Sick Killer Whale Found Dead in France

A seriously injured orca that got separated from its pod, swam several miles up the Seine in France and died of natural causes, according to the advocacy organization Sea Shepherd.

The sad incident happened after attempts to bring the whale back to sea failed.

"Unfortunately, we found the [orca's body] this morning at 11:48 [local time]," Sea Sheperd France said in a tweet.

(DISCLAIMER: Translation by Google Translate.)

Scientists established over the weekend that the 4-meter (13-foot) whale was terminally ill and was likely suffering from mucormycosis, or black fungus, a disease common in North American whales but never seen in Europe.

The orca stuck in the Seine River has been tracked by French authorities for weeks. Since April 5, it has been spotted multiple times, swimming 30 kilometers from the English Channel.

Sea Shepherd France announces that they have located the body of the orca that drew international attention after it was spotted swimming up the Seine River from Le Havre. An autopsy will reveal the cause of death, but it was deemed too sick to rescue after one failed attempt. 😔 https://t.co/cM8ul0zp3K
— Sea Shepherd (@seashepherd) May 30, 2022

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A group of experts watching the whale decided to euthanize it on Sunday after fruitless attempts to guide it into the sea.

Drones making orca noises were used to lead it back to the ocean, but they were unsuccessful. Instead, it reacted erratically and incoherently to the orca sounds from the drone and produced distressed calls, France 24 reported.

Killer Whale's Underlying Conditions

Officials said per Euro News that the orca was in bad health after spending so much time in freshwater that it had become fragile. They also feared it had mucormycosis, or black fungus, havoc on its organs, skin, and brain processes.

According to French officials, a committee of specialists suggested that the animal be put down due to its "critical state of health." However, it died before any attempt at euthanasia was made.

About Orca Whale

Killer whale sightings are uncommon in the English Channel, DW reported. Some assume that the whale was there because it was sick and that the calmer seas made hunting easier.

Orcas may live in freshwater, but the habitat is unhealthy for them. Orcas also have a strong social structure and are accustomed to hunting in groups, complicating matters for a stranded individual.