Europe 1 with AFP 11:49 a.m., July 01, 2022
A cetacean, visibly in good health, was detected in the Seine, near the Le Havre estuary, between the Normandy bridge and the Tancarville bridge.
The presence of the animal in this area does not cause particular concern, provided that it does not arrive in fresh water where its days would be numbered.
After the killer whale at the end of May, a new cetacean ventured into the waters of the Seine, near the Le Havre estuary, between the Normandy and Tancarville bridges, AFP learned.
This time, it could be an adult sharp-nosed whale, around 10 meters in size, according to the observations of several associations, including Sea Shepherd France, cited by the Seine-Maritime prefecture in a statement.
Press release - in the Seine
⤵️ pic.twitter.com/lxNJQBANUN
– Prefect of Normandy and Seine-Maritime (@Prefet76) June 30, 2022
"From what we have been able to see and from what has been reported to us, he seems to be in good health. He is swimming normally," Lamya Essemlali, president of the ocean defense NGO, told AFP on Friday. .
If the NGO has "no a priori concerns about his state of health", his priority is to monitor the progress of the cetacean.
"He must above all not arrive in fresh water, otherwise it would be problematic: his days would be numbered", according to Lamya Essemlali who evokes the possibility of making a sound barrier to keep him away.
Boats are prohibited from approaching it within 100 meters
"The animal observed moves slowly, but with powerful movements, and seems in good physical condition", notes for its part the prefecture.
"The Haropa captaincy of the port of Rouen immediately issued a notice to shipping, with regulatory value, addressed to all ships, boats and floating devices, in order to inform them of the presence of this wild animal but also to impose the prohibition to approach within 100 meters", adds the press release released Thursday evening.
"It's not as abnormal and as worrying as it was for the killer whale. A rorqual is not a gregarious animal (which lives in herds, editor's note)", recalls the president of Sea Shepherd.
In mid-May, an orca in great difficulty was observed in the Seine between Le Havre and Rouen.
The cetacean was found dead at the end of May.
A group of experts responsible for monitoring the animal had been created and had decided to euthanize it after the failure of operations to guide it towards the sea, in particular by means of underwater sound stimuli.