His health was considered to be alarming. Sea Shepherd France announced on Twitter that the dead orca, who had been suffering in the Seine between Rouen et Le Havre for several days, was found dead Monday morning. “We are currently there to protect her body from being struck by a ship which could compromise the autopsy. We are still waiting for the State-mandated team to retrieve it,” said the NGO for defense of the oceans. They posted photos of the animal’s remains.
We found the body today at 11:48. We are currently there to protect her body from being struck by a ship. This would jeopardize the autopsy. We await the State’s team to retrieve it. pic.twitter.com/kHunMaxGyt
After the weekend’s failure to rescue the orca using sound stimuli, it was decided to put the animal down. The veterinarian described the orca’s health as “alarming”, and the decision was taken to euthanize him. The Seine-Maritime prefecture released a statement Sunday saying that a working group of experts had unanimously decided that euthanizing the animal was the best option.
The orca eventually died by itself. It is likely that she suffered from “generalized mycosis, Mucormycosis type”, which is a common disease in marine mammals, especially in North America. An autopsy will provide more information about his exact cause of death.
On May 16, the animal was first seen between Honfleur et Le Havre. The animal had been brought to the Seine estuary by an already sick man. According to the prefecture, experts observed “a lack in alertness, inconsistent responses to sound stimuli, and an erratic, disoriented behavior by the orca” during the rescue operation. Audio recordings also showed “vocalizations that resemble cries for help”.
