French authorities are following the trail of a
beluga whale
that has strayed from its natural arctic habitat into the Seine River.
There is concern that this cetacean will die of starvation
if it stays longer in the banks of the river that runs through
Paris
.
Images taken by a firefighting drone show the animal navigating the Seine between Paris and the city of Rouen, tens of kilometers from its mouth in the English Channel.
"It is an impressive white creature that seems to be calm.
It does not seem to be stressed, coming to the surface frequently
," Patrick Hérot, a firefighter from the Eure department, in the Normandy region, explained to the French television channel TF1.
However, he has urged the population not to approach her so as not to make her nervous.
The marine fauna protection group Sea Sepherd France has reported that they are doing everything possible to assist the whale, sending drones and ships to follow it.
In addition, he has said that the animal is probably hungry and that they are trying to guide it back to the ocean.
"She is doomed to die if she remains in the Seine
," Lamya Essemlali, president of the group, told TF1.
Belugas' white skin and prominent head make them easily recognizable.
Also known for their social and friendly nature, they usually live, hunt and migrate together in groups.
This is not the only similar case.
At the end of last May, a sick orca died of natural causes after becoming separated from its pod and going several kilometers upriver.
Her efforts to redirect it to the sea were unsuccessful.
Just a month later, another 10-meter whale was also sighted in the Seine.
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