AUGUST 26 (Reuters) — A dead baby blue whale was found along the shores of French Basque country town Bidart on Monday evening (August 24).
Local media reported that the approximately 12-metre long blue whale weighting some five to eight tonnes was found around 20.30 local time (1830 GMT). Firemen secured the area and brought the body of the animal on the beach, where it stayed for the night. Three diggers were necessary to move the mammal’s heavy body from the water to the beach, reported local newspaper “Sud Ouest”.
Security fences and lines were put to secure the area and prevent tourists to access the space around the animal.
On Tuesday morning (August 25) a team of experts of French scientific laboratory “Pelagis Observatory” came to carry out an initial autopsy to understand the causes of the death of the whale which were not yet known, communication officer of the town of Bidart Laetitia Felis told Reuters.