Singing Drone Fails To Lure Orca Back To Sea

An attempt to use a singing drone to lure a lost orca in the River Seine in Paris, France, back out to sea failed last weekend. The rescue crew used a drone that broadcast a whale song to no avail. The animal had become too weakened, so marine biologists decided to put the orca to sleep. The unique drone rescue method was used because it was feared that an attempt by boat had no chance of success in any case.

Singing drone sings whale song

The four-meter-long marine mammal was first sighted two weeks ago in the Seine halfway between Le Havre and Rouen, about 60 km from the ocean. It involved a young sword whale that may have lost its group. According to marine biologists, the animal was very weak and swam aimlessly in the freshwater, where it could not find enough food to survive for long. But a rescue attempt by boat would probably cause too much stress for the animal.

Finally, rescuers and experts decided last Friday to lure the animal back to sea by means of a…