13-Foot Beluga Whale Trapped in River Seine Euthanized After Over a Week of Rescue Efforts Failed

A beluga whale that got lost and became stranded in the River Seine eventually died despite rescue efforts.

The marine creature, headed towards the north, veered off course and became impaled in a freshwater lock at St.-Pierre-La-Garenne, some 45 miles west of Paris, on Aug. 2, CNN reported.

Experts tried to feed the missing beluga many times after finding it but failed. Rescue operations to pull the whale from the river started on Tuesday night. Eighty individuals, including more than 20 divers, arrived to save the over 1760-pound, 13-foot-long beast.

The whale was removed from the sea on Wednesday morning using a net, and it was then put on a barge with vets who kept an eye on the beluga's health.

Euthanized Beluga Whale in Transit From France's Seine River

According to the Associated Press, the whale was transferred to a chilled truck and driven more than 90 miles to a saltwater port in Normandy.

The whale experienced severe respiratory problems as it made its way to the water.

"The veterinarians noted a deterioration in its condition and its respiratory activities," said Florence Ollivet-Courtois, one of the veterinarians assisting with the rescue operation, in a video shared on Twitter by the French department of Calvados.

"The animal was in anoxia and was not ventilating sufficiently," added Florence Ollivet-Courtois.

The vets chose to euthanize the beluga after evaluating the animal's condition owing to its low quality of life.

According to Ollivet-Courtois, the animal's suffering was evident. Therefore, the vets agreed to euthanize it since it would be inappropriate to release it.

Lamya Essemlali, head of Sea Shepherd France, who spoke to Reuters, mentioned that the whale would not have lasted very long in the river water.

"It is with heavy hearts that we announce that the beluga did not survive the translocation, which was risky but essential to give an otherwise doomed animal a chance," announced the organization on Twitter.

"We are devastated by this tragic outcome that we knew was very likely, but we thank all those who worked for this unprecedented mobilization," Sea Shepherd France added.

The vets chose to euthanize the beluga after evaluating the animal's condition owing to its low quality of life.

According to Ollivet-Courtois, the animal's suffering was evident. Therefore, the vets agreed that carrying out its euthanasia was required since it was inappropriate to release it.

Lamya Essemlali, head of Sea Shepherd France, who spoke to Reuters, mentioned that the whale would not have lasted very long in the river water.

"It is with heavy hearts that we announce that the beluga did not survive the translocation, which was risky but essential to give an otherwise doomed animal a chance," announced the organization on Twitter.

"We are devastated by this tragic outcome that we knew was very likely, but we thank all those who worked for this unprecedented mobilization," Sea Shepherd France added.

Malnourished Beluga Whale Refused to Eat Since It Got Stuck

The malnourished whale was to be moved to a saltwater basin in the hopes that it would gain some strength before being moved to the sea. But it was a dangerous endeavor.

The male beluga, which stood four meters (13.1 feet) tall and weighed 800 kilograms (1,763 pounds) rather than the 1,200 kilos that an adult beluga typically weighs, had not eaten since it was first discovered in the Seine last week.

Before it strayed up the river and came within 70 km (43 miles) of Paris, rescuers thought it was already unwell. When it arrived at Ouistreham, it was still alive but frail and had trouble breathing.

The whale would have been doomed if left in the Seine, according to the marine conservation organization Sea Shepherd France, which assisted in the rescue. Beluga is unable to endure extended stays in warm, freshwater rivers.

"[The operation] was risky, but essential to give a chance to an otherwise doomed animal," the group added in an Al Jazeera report.

A very ill orca made its way up the Seine in late May and died naturally after being unsuccessfully guided back to the ocean.

The most southern whale sighting on British soil occurred in September 2018 when a beluga was observed in the River Thames east of London.

Beluga whales often dwell in pods in the Arctic or sub-Arctic seas.

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