A ten-meter female whale has died after running aground on a beach on the Île de Ré, French authorities announced on Saturday. The cetacean washed ashore on Friday evening at the eastern tip of the island.
The animal was identified as a fin whale, the second-largest whale species in the world after the blue whale, according to marine expert Jean-Roch Meslin.
Exceptionally rare incident
The whale was spotted near the coast on Friday afternoon before washing up on the beach, where it died because an intervention was impossible during the night, Meslin told Agence France-Presse (AFP).
He described the beaching as an exceptionally rare event, noting it is only the third time the species has washed ashore in the area. The previous recorded incidents occurred in 1920 and 2017.
Removed by crane
The whale, weighing approximately 12 metric tons, was lifted using a crane and transported away from the beach on a semi-trailer, according to an AFP photographer at the scene.
The carcass will undergo a necropsy to determine the exact cause of death, the prefecture of Charente-Maritime stated.