Shola Lee
An underweight whale has accidentally started swimming up the River Seine in France.
The lost beluga was first spotted this Tuesday August 2, miles from home. Many are concerned for its welfare, with officials offering the animal food to try and help.
Right about now we're wishing we could pull a Dory, speak whale, and check on the poor guy.
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A recent sighting of the whale placed him around 44 miles from Paris, with officials and local authorities working together to deliver some much-needed sustenance to the sea creature.
And, honestly, since we've heard about this story we can't stop worrying about the whale.
The lost animal isn't just underweight, it's also had 'skin changes', which could suggest dwindling health.
However, according to the deputy head of the French Marine Mammal Research Group, Gerard Mauger, the mammal spent "very little time on the surface" and has decent lung capacity.
Sea Shepherd France tweeted about the situation, saying: "To all those who care about the fate of the beluga: keeping your distance is essential. Help us to help it by respecting these instructions, the interest of the animal prevails over curiosity."
Environmentalist Lamya Essemlali echoed this statement, saying: "The environment is not very welcoming for the beluga, the Seine is very polluted and cetaceans are extremely sensitive to noise.
"The urgency is to feed the whale to prevent it from suffering the same fate as the orca," she added.
The orca Lamya is referring to was found dead in the Seine back in May after the animal got lost and was unable to make its way back to the ocean or to be helped by officials.
Upon autopsy, officials learned that the orca was an immature female, and found a bullet in the base of the animal's skull, leading to speculation about how the orca died.
The report on the animal's death says it's "not possible to date the moment the bullet penetrated the animal’s body."
Here's hoping it's a better outcome for the incredible creature stuck in the Seine right now. To reiterate the advice of professionals, if you're in the area stay well away from the whale and let the professionals deliver some much-needed food.
They need it, they've never made it this far away from home.
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