Recently, a beluga has been swimming in the River Seine in northwestern France. That is very striking, because normally the white dolphin lives in the icy waters around the North Pole.
By our news editorsThe cetacean was first spotted in the Eure department in Normandy on Tuesday. Local authorities have asked people not to approach the animal. Experts investigate whether the beluga is healthy or if something is wrong.
The situation need not be all that worrying. Although the white dolphins normally live in icy waters, they occasionally descend south. They can also live temporarily in fresh water.
Recently, the Seine was visited by an orca. Attempts to lead the animal back to sea failed. The orca was seriously ill and eventually died of natural causes.
The Seine rises in eastern France and flows into the Atlantic Ocean. The river also flows through Paris.
In 1966 a beluga swam through the Netherlands. The animal, who was given the name Moby Dick, swam through the Rhine all the way to Bonn, Germany. The dolphin managed to reach the sea again under its own power. And in 2018, a beluga swam through the River Thames in the United Kingdom.