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The attempt to rescue the lost killer whale in the Seine began on Saturday May 28. It is almost the last chance operation for the animal, which seems very weakened.
The first step for the team of gendarmes and researchers was to locate the orca with a drone. She is still, Saturday, May 28, in the Seine, more than 100 km from the sea. It is the last chance operation for the weakened animal, which will last several days. The device is unique: while the drone monitors the state of health of the killer whale, a speaker immersed in a boat broadcasts sounds from other killer whales, in order to attract it to the sea.
“It’s experimental. We’re not at all sure it will work, but it’s worth a try”, explains Charlotte Curé, researcher in bioacoustics at Cerema. The rescue must be done discreetly, but some have come to observe it from the banks. The killer whale is a male about 4 meters long, emaciated. Its dorsal fin is curved, a sign of stress or weakness. No one knows what prompted the animal, ten days ago, to rush into the fresh water of the Seine, or why he is alone.