France Link

Mystery and concern as beluga whale swims up Seine towards Paris

Officials are puzzled as to why an apparently underwheight beluga whale, a species normally found in cold Arctic waters, is swimming up the River Seine towards the French capital, while environmentalists ponder on how to guide the cetacean back out to sea.

La rédaction de Mediapart

This article is freely available.

A beluga whale has been spotted in France's River Seine, and officials are now deciding how to save a mammal more suited to cold Arctic waters, reports BBC News.

They say the animal is currently near a lock at Vernon, about 70 kilometres (43 miles) north-west of Paris.

Members of the public are being urged to keep away from the whale that appears to be underweight.

Experts are puzzled as to why the whale has strayed so far south from its natural habitat.

"The challenge now will be to help feed it, and try to accompany it towards the ocean," Lamya Essemlali, the head of environmental group Sea Shepherd France, was quoted as saying by the Reuters news agency.

She said taking the animal out of the water was out of the question as it was too risky.

Read more of this report from BBC News.