Photo: JEAN-FRANCOIS MONIER/AFP via Getty

A beluga whale that strayed into the River Seine on Aug. 2 and became stuck in the French waterway died following efforts to save the animal.

On its way to the arctic, the marine mammal went off route and got stuck in a freshwater lock at St.-Pierre-La-Garenne, approximately 45 miles west of Paris, on Aug. 2,CNNreported.

After spotting the lost beluga, experts attempted to feed the animal but failed each time.

On Tuesday night, rescue efforts to remove the whale from the river began. More than 20 divers and an overall team of 80 people gathered to save the over 1760-pound, 13-foot-long animal.

The whale was then moved to a refrigerated truck to be taken to a saltwater port in Normandy over 90 miles away, theAssociated Pressreported.

JEAN-FRANCOIS MONIER/AFP via Getty

Rescuers pull up a net after they rescued a beluga whale stranded in the River Seine to bring it into a truck to drive it towards Ouistreham (Calvados), at Notre Dame de la-Garenne, northern France, on August 10, 2022. - French marine experts launched an ambitious operation on August 9 to rescue an ailing beluga whale that swam up the Seine river, to return it to the sea. The four-metre (13-foot) cetacean, a protected species usually found in cold Arctic waters, was spotted a week ago heading towards Paris, and is now some 130 kilometres inland.

During the whale’s journey to the sea, the animal developed serious breathing difficulties.

After assessing the animal’s condition, the veterinarians decided to euthanize the beluga due to its poor quality of life.

“The suffering being obvious for the animal, we decided that it was not appropriate to release it and that it was necessary to proceed with its euthanasia,” Ollivet-Courtois shared.

Rescuers pull up a net as they rescue a beluga whale stranded in the River Seine at Notre Dame de la-Garenne, northern France, on August 9, 2022. - French marine experts launched an ambitious operation on August 9 to rescue an ailing beluga whale that swam up the Seine river, to return it to the sea. The four-metre (13-foot) cetacean, a protected species usually found in cold Arctic waters, was spotted a week ago heading towards Paris, and is now some 130 kilometres inland.

Lamya Essemlali, president of Sea Shepherd France, toldReutersthat the whale would not have survived much longer in the river water.

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After the beluga’s passing, the Sea Shepherd France also shared the news onTwitter.

“It is with heavy hearts that we announce that the beluga did not survive the translocation which was risky, but essential to give an otherwise doomed animal a chance,” the nonprofit announced.

source: people.com