The four-metre-long animal is now being taken to a saltwater pool on the north coast of France in hopes of being saved.
A stranded beluga whale in the River Seine in northern France was removed from the river early Wednesday in the first phase of an operation to rescue the animal, which had strayed far from its usual habitat in arctic or subarctic seas.
After nearly six hours of work, the 800 kg whale was lifted from the river by net and crane around 4:00 a.m. local time (02:00 GMT) and placed under the close care of a dozen veterinarians, the AFP news agency reported, citing their local reporter.
A medical team plans to transport the whale to the north-eastern French port city of Ouistreham, Normandy, where its health can be monitored in a saltwater tank near the sea.
Conservationists have been trying unsuccessfully to feed the beluga since Friday, fearing it would wither away. Local authorities said it has shown signs of improvement after being given a cocktail of vitamins and antibiotics.
The “extraordinary” operation to bring it back to sea is not without risk for the whale, said Isabelle Brasseur of Marineland marine wildlife park in southern France, who is part of a rescue team that also includes the NGO Sea Shepherd France.
“It could be that he dies now, in handling, while driving or at point B,” she said in Ouistreham.
Le béluga a été sorti de l’eau après de longues heures de preparation et d’eforts. Bravo aux équipes impliquées d’avoir relevé ce défi. Les premier examens medical ont été faits, les résultats seront bientôt connus. Le béluga va maintenant before la route vers Ouistreham. pic.twitter.com/Vc8aBMKf6r
— Sea Shepherd France (@SeaShepherdFran) August 10, 2022
[Translation: The beluga (whale) has been taken out of the water after many hours of preparation and effort. Well done to the teams involved. The first medical tests have been completed and the results will be known soon. The beluga is now on the road to Ouistreham]
About 24 divers were involved in the operation to recover the whale from the river, while a handful of curious people stayed on shore all night to watch the operation.
The all-white whale had swum almost halfway to Paris before being spotted last week and trapped in a large lock system.
It remains unclear why it had strayed so far from its natural habitat.
In late May, a critically ill orca swam dozens of kilometers up the Seine and died of natural causes after attempts to get it back to sea failed.