Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Asharq Al-Awsat
Asharq Al-Awsat
Lifestyle

French officials to Use Orca Sounds to Guide Lost Whale Back to Sea

An orca swims in the River Seine at Duclair in Normandy, after straying into the river from the sea and swimming from Le Havre to Rouen, France, May 26, 2022. REUTERS/Pascal Rossignol

A plan has been hatched to guide a killer whale adrift in France's River Seine back to the sea — using orca sounds, local officials said on Friday.

Following a meeting with national and international scientists, including marine mammal specialists, the local prefecture said it would monitor the killer whale from a distance with a drone while emitting orca communications in an attempt to guide it back to the sea.

"The use of these non-invasive methods, from several hundred meters (feet) distance, will make it possible to avoid using ships in the immediate proximity of the animal, which could aggravate its stress and endanger it survival, as well as the safety of rescuers," said the Seine-Maritime prefecture in a statement posted on Twitter.

The whale, whose health is deteriorating in fresh water, strayed from the ocean earlier this month, and is at risk of dying.

The 4-meter orca, identified as a male, was first spotted at the mouth of the Seine on May 16 between the port of Le Havre and the town of Honfleur in Normandy, before it travelled dozens of kilometers upstream to reach west of the city of Rouen, Reuters reported.

Several French media outlets showed footage of the killer whale in the river, its dorsal fin sticking out of the water and its distinctive black and white coloring showing as it comes up for air.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.