Paris, France. A 10-meter female fin whale died after running aground on a beach on Île de Ré, French authorities said on Saturday. The animal washed ashore on Friday evening at the eastern tip of the island.
Identification
Marine expert Jean-Roch Meslin identified the cetacean as a fin whale, the second-largest whale species in the world after the blue whale.
Beaching
Meslin told Agence France-Presse that the whale was seen near the coast on Friday afternoon before washing up on the beach. He said it died because an intervention was impossible during the night.
Rare event
Meslin described the stranding as an exceptionally rare event, saying it was only the third time the species had washed ashore in the area. The previous recorded incidents were in 1920 and 2017.
Removal and investigation
The whale weighed about 12 metric tons and was lifted with a crane and taken away on a semi-trailer, according to an AFP photographer at the scene. The prefecture of Charente-Maritime said the carcass will undergo a necropsy to determine the exact cause of death.
