Stranded beluga whale dies after being removed from Seine

Paris: French officials say a beluga whale that was stuck in the Seine for days has died after being successfully removed from French waterways.

Whales were being transported to saltwater pools in Normandy.

Rescuers spent the night using cranes to lift the whale out of the river. It was checked by a veterinarian before being placed in a refrigerated truck for the over 160-kilometer road trip to the waterway port of Ouistreham.

“Despite an unprecedented rescue effort, it is sad to announce the whale’s death,” said an official in Calvados, the province where the port is located.

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A fire department veterinarian said the beluga was euthanized during transportation because it developed breathing difficulties.

The plan was to transfer the whale to a saltwater basin in the hope that some strength could be restored before transferring the whale to the sea.

The whale, which has become a local celebrity, was first spotted last week accidentally turning away from its normal route to the North Pole. It weighs about 800 kg.

Ahead of the rescue attempt, officials said the whale was at risk of dying from stress, but noted that it could not survive much longer in its freshwater habitat on the Seine.