A beluga whale, a protected species normally found in cold Arctic waters, has been sighted in France’s Seine and authorities have urged people to keep their distance so as not to cause distress to the animal.
Officials in the department of Eure in Normandy said late Wednesday that images suggested it was a beluga severed from its pod, although they did not specify its size or the exact location where it was seen.
An adult beluga can reach up to four meters in length, and although it migrates away from the Arctic in the fall to forage in the form of ice, it rarely ventures that far south.
“Studies on his health status are underway to determine the best measures that can be taken to ensure his chances of survival,” said the regional authorities of Eure.
In May, a killer whale – technically part of the dolphin family – was found dead in the River Seine between the port city of Le Havre and Rouen.
The animal was stranded in the river that flows through Paris to the English Channel and was unable to return to the ocean despite attempts by officials to guide it.
Eure authorities said lone belugas sometimes swim further south than usual and are able to survive temporarily in fresh water.
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