Stranded orca found dead in French river

By Shweta Desai

PARIS (AA) - An orca, which was stranded for weeks in France’s iconic Seine River, was found dead on Monday, local authorities announced.

A towing operation will be carried out to take the whale' body to the banks of the Seine, after which veterinarians and expert biologists will do an autopsy to try to establish the causes of the wandering and death, said a statement by the Seine-Maritime Department.

Authorities have decided to not disclose the location of the body in order to deter people from crowding to see the 4-meter-long (13-foot) black and white whale, identified as a male.

Experts had reached a conclusion to euthanize the whale due to its poor health and were gearing up to carry out the operation this week.

However, on Monday morning, a sailor found the body of the whale floating on the surface, and investigations by the NGO Sea Shepherd confirmed the animal was dead.

The orca had strayed from its pod in the ocean and swam up the River Seine earlier this month. It was first spotted around the port of Le Havre, from where it appears to have swum up the Seine close to the city of Rouen.

Orcas are the largest member of the oceanic dolphin family. Although they are commonly known as killer whales, orcas are not known to attack humans. Orcas live with their mothers for their entire lives, and male species share a strong bond with their mothers.