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Baleen whale body found in Saint-Adresse
11th February 2003
The corpse of a baleen whale was discovered by walkers, during the morning of Monday, 10th February, on the beach of Saint-Adresse, near Le Havre.
The cetacean, a common or boreal rorqual, of about 15 to 17 meters, will be towed into the waters of Le Havre harbour, before being entrusted to a company, appointed by the town hall, responsible for its disposal.
The disposal company, (Trasom), which specializes in underwater work, was contracted to arrange the removal of the animal which weighs approximately 12 to 15 tonnes. The operation is a delicate one, as the inflated body of the cetacean, which has obviously been dead a long time, threatens to break up at the least movement.
For health reasons the authorities are not permitted to destroy this type of corpse, by means of explosives, for example.
An autopsy must take place before the corpse is destroyed in an attempt to establish the cause of death
A cetacean of the same type was discovered in the harbour of Le Havre in 1993. The corpse of animal had been brought into the harbour by a freighter, doubtless after it had been impaled on the bow of the vessel.
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