What we know about the operation to rescue the beluga lost in the Seine

He’s been wandering the Seine for a week. Stuck between two locks, the beluga lost in the river ended up entering the lock of Saint-Pierre-la-Garenne, 70 km from Paris. The cetacean extraction operation started shortly before 10 p.m., announced the Eure prefecture on Tuesday August 9.

How did this beluga get lost in the Seine?

The beluga is a protected cetacean species that lives mainly in Canada and in Arctic waters. It usually lives in groups and feeds on fish and shellfish. The specimen spotted in the Seine visibly got lost and went up the Seine. The animal is now contained in a lock of the Saint-Pierre-la-Garenne dam, 125 meters by 24 meters. “It happens to isolated individuals to wander in more southern waters. It can survive temporarily in fresh water”explains a press release from the Eure prefecture.

For the oceanographer François Sarano, interviewed by West Franceit sometimes exists in cetaceans “individuals who leave the clan and who make more or less long escapades to explore other places”. The scientist also mentions the rapid evolution of the position of the Earth’s magnetic poles as one of the potential causes of this disorientation. According to the researcher, it is also possible that “modifications in sea currents, influenced by global warming, are one of the causes of its loss”.

What is his state of health?

He measures about four meters for 800 kilos and seems emaciated. His situation is worrying, because a prolonged stay in the water of the lock, which is warmer and more stagnant than his usual aquatic environment, can harm his state of health. A few days after being spotted, the animal indeed presented “skin alterations due to its presence in fresh water”. He also refuses to eat. Veterinarians have tried to “administer vitamins and products likely to whet his appetite”. Without success, according to the prefecture of Eure.

Mobilized on the spot, the NGO Sea Shepherd tried to offer the animal dead herring, then live trout. But the beluga “(a priori) still not feeding”deplores the NGO on Twitter. However, his state of health appears to have improved slightly on Tuesday morning. “Around 4 a.m. he scrubbed the walls of the lock for 30 minutes and got rid of the stains that had appeared on his back. Antibiotics may have helped as well”positive the NGO.

What solutions have been considered to save it?

Among the options considered, “euthanasia has been ruled out”, said Lamya Essemlali, president of Sea Shepherd France. Three options were still on the table during the weekend: an opening of the lock, letting him end his life “like someone very sick” or the extraction, had listed the sub-prefect of Evreux.

This last option was chosen. Teams from the Marineland park in Antibes (Alpes-Maritimes), the largest marine zoo in Europe, were mobilized on Monday evening. Sea Shepherd has also published a call for donations on social networks to gather the necessary equipment for the operation.

How will the rescue be organized?

The operation is announced “extraordinary”, according to Isabelle Brasseur, member of the Marineland Antibes team. Indeed, the banks of the Seine “are not accessible to vehicles” at this place and “everything must be carried by hand”, specifies the prefecture of Eure. The beluga should be captured in a net, then lifted by a crane, before being transported by truck. This complex operation must be “attempted in the evening” Tuesday, announced the prefecture of Eure.

Despite this technical constraint, the operation will have to be as quick as possible to maintain the cetacean’s chances of survival. “In the water, cetaceans support their weight well, but on land, gravity is more difficult and it compresses their organs. They must not stay in this position too long”explains Gérard Mauger, vice-president of the Cotentin cetacean study group (GECC) at France 3 Normandy.

Is the beluga likely to reach the sea?

The chances of success of the rescue operation are slim. The lock where the beluga is held is over 130 km from the sea. Before being released, “the priority is to put it back in sea water”, explains Isabelle Brasseur. The cetacean will thus be kept for a few days in a seawater lock, the time to be examined and cared for. Indeed, a hasty release could be deadly. “The risk of putting it back at sea directly is that it dies immediately and comes back stranded”estimates Gérard Mauger, for France 3 Normandy.


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