How far will she go?
For more than a week, an orca has been wandering in the Seine, from its mouth where it was seen and even filmed by Le Havre tugboats to the meanders of the river where the animal was observed near Yainville (Seine- Maritime) and Barneville-sur-Seine (Eure), more than 60 km inland.
And nothing says that it will not go further in the direction of Rouen in the coming days.
A hell of a walk no doubt started in the Bay of the Seine a few weeks earlier where the cetacean had already crossed paths with fishermen aboard a coquillard in early April.
Since then, the Cotentin Cetacean Study Group (GECC) has followed his wanderings with attention.
Because this male of about 4 m long is far from his usual favorite grounds, from the north of Ireland to off Norway or Iceland.
đł An orca in Normandy!
đł
đ ClĂ©ment Thomas, boss of the trawler-shell ATLAS filmed this incredible scene off the Bay of the Seine.
He saw the dorsal fin of a male killer whale a few hundred meters away.
pic.twitter.com/V12GybCTjs
- That's enough !
(@cestassezfrance) April 9, 2022
An extremely rare phenomenon according to experts who wonder about the reasons for its presence in the Seine.
The orca, who is used to living in packs, could have been driven out of her original group unless a surge of curiosity led her here.
But today, questions arise about his state of health.
âI am worried because his state of health is deterioratingâ, explains GĂ©rard Mauger, vice-president and founder of the GECC, to our colleagues from 76actu, who was able to observe the orca at the start of the week.
âShe stays much less underwater.
She is emaciated and has fungal infections.
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For the moment, no rescue intervention is planned, but the specialist advises everyone to leave the cetacean as quiet as possible, stress being a detrimental element to its survival.
Hoping that she quickly finds her way to the open sea.