ModernizationThe French authorities are going The lost orca Who have been swimming in the Seine for several weeks, trying to guide them back to sea with the help of acoustic cues. “A cautious intervention method has been chosen,” the French Maritime Prefecture of Seine reported. Since the animal’s health does not look good, an attempt will be made to save the life of the orca.
French captain Clement Thomas first discovered the orca, which is about four meters long, off the coast of Normandy in early April. Meanwhile, the animal has already swam until it reaches the municipality of Yanvel, about 60 kilometers from land.
According to the expert group “Groupe d’Étude des Cétacés du Cotentin et des mammifères marins de la Mer de la Manche” (GECC), the orca is said to be so small it could have been rejected by its herd or isolated because it was sick. So experts are concerned about the animal’s health, which appears to be deteriorating sharply. According to GECC founder Gérard Mauger, Orca is said to have lost weight and had a fungal infection. “If the orcas are no longer in their herds, their fate is to some extent or less,” he previously told French news site Acto.
Orcas are most commonly found on the coasts of Scotland, Iceland, Norway and to the south in the Atlantic Ocean and in the Bay of Biscay.
Rewatch: Orca has been swimming in the French Seine since April
“We have to be quick”
After consultation between the county and national and international marine experts, it has now been decided to launch a rescue operation. To this end, sound stimuli, more specifically sounds from the orca inhabitants, will be used to attract the animal’s attention and thus return it to the sea. The sounds will be broadcast using a drone, which will follow the orca from a distance of several hundred meters.
“This rescue will eliminate the need for ships in the animal’s immediate vicinity, which could put significant stress on the orca and reduce its chance of survival,” the county said in a statement. It would also put the safety of the rescuers at risk.
Muriel Arnall, president of the French animal rights organization OneVoice, had earlier emphasized the urgency of the rescue. “We have to be fast,” she stressed.
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