Since April 19, the corpse of a fin whale of about thirty tons has been washed up on the Normandy coast. Prefecture and environmental associations are struggling to agree on the future of the carcass, especially for the safety of fishing boats and bathers. 20 Minutes takes stock.

Where is the cetacean at the moment?

The body of the whale first washed up on April 19 in Saint-Valéry-en-Caux, Seine-Maritime, before being swept away by the tide. It reappeared on April 24 in Veules-les-Roses, a few kilometers further east. Usually, scientists are mobilized at each stranding to document them and collect scientific data. But the location of the cetacean, "at the foot of a cliff of 60 meters", makes any intervention "too risky", said the prefecture of Seine-Maritime in a statement of April 28.

State services and environmental associations therefore hope that a new tide will dislodge the body of the cetacean. The tidal coefficient conditions are met from 3 to 8 May, says the NGO Robin des Bois. Contacted by 20 Minutes this Friday, the association confirmed that the body was still at the foot of the cliff, but that a "natural water supply could occur in the coming hours and days".

What future for the carcass once released?

Assuming that a new tide sweeps away the body, the prefecture had planned "to take some samples at sea from the carcass," Robin des Bois said in a statement on May 3. Far from the full examination usually carried out. The carcass was then to be equipped with a GPS beacon to ensure "a follow-up of the corpse at sea, to inform of its presence and prevent possible collisions," according to the prefecture.

A scenario opposed by the NGO Robin des Bois, which considers "more reasonable to tow it to a beach". The association's arguments seem to have been heard. According to the latest information from the NGO, contacted by 20 Minutes this Friday, "the option of controlled drift has been abandoned" and the carcass could well be the subject of a "towing attempt". "This is good news," says Robin des Bois. Contacted by 20 Minutes, the prefecture of Seine-Maritime has not yet responded to our requests.

Why could "controlled drift" be dangerous?

Stranded for two weeks already, the carcass of about thirty tons could take several weeks to several months to decompose. In the meantime, the corpse is likely to remain adrift in the waters of the English Channel. "A whale carcass behaves like an inner tube inflated with methane, ammonia and hydrogen sulfide," warns Robin des Bois in his press release. A risk for fishing boats, but also for tourists this summer if the corpse were to "burst into the bathing waters" despite GPS surveillance.



Worse, during the decomposition, the geolocation device could "detach itself from the corpse of the whale", which could then "be dragged into the suction channel of the cooling water of the Paluel and Penly nuclear power plants", fears the NGO. So many reasons to favor a towing on a beach, which would also allow to conduct the usual complete post-mortem examination.


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