3rd whale stranded on France’s northern coast

By Shweta Desai

PARIS (AA) - Another whale was sighted stranded on the northern coast of France, the third such occurrence this month, local media reported Monday.

People at the Ty Anquer beach in Finistere, Brittany region spotted a 10-meter-long (62-foot) whale, alive and breathing, this morning. Firefighters and gendarmes attempted to push the cetacean into the sea but due to the low tide it could not swim back, FranceInfo news reported.

This is the third whale to be stranded this month. A 19-meter-long whale was stranded near the island of Sein on Sept. 2. Another 17-meter-long whale beached on the coast of the town of Treguennec on Sept. 10. They were pushed back to the ocean by rescuers.

Also in May and August, an orca and a beluga, were trapped in the Seine River after straying off from the English channel. The malnourished and physically distressed mammals died despite rescue attempts.