Successful Rescue of a Juvenile Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) Trapped Upstream of the Rance Tidal Power Station, Brittany, France
Abstract
Rescue operations involving baleen whales trapped in dammed environments are difficult to perform successfully, yet increasingly relevant under growing coastal development. We report on a two-day (9–10 February 2023) rescue of a juvenile humpback whale trapped upstream of the Rance Tidal Power Station (TPS) in Brittany, France, providing rare peer-review evidence on response strategies in highly engineered estuaries. A collaborative, non-invasive strategy was implemented by adjusting water levels and creating artificial tidal currents to prevent the whale from stranding and to guide the individual back to open water. Approximately 100 people were mobilized as part of the rescue operation. This paper describes a detailed spatiotemporal account of the whale’s movements and a chronological record of the actions taken by the rescue team. After several attempts to guide it out, rescue efforts enabled its successful exit from the estuary on the second day of operations, and it was not subsequently reported stranded along the French coast. This case demonstrates the value of rapid multidisciplinary coordination between the French National Stranding Network (composed of marine scientists, veterinarians and local correspondents), local organizations, the local marine biology station, international marine mammal experts, national institutions, authorities and a tidal energy operator. Beyond documenting an unusual event, this paper provides operational lessons, highlighting (i) the adaptative management of a TPS as a guidance tool, (ii) the prioritization of animal welfare and responders’ safety, (iii) the effective public and media management and (iv) the involvement of trained volunteers during the rescue, promoting environmentally responsible behavior. These insights are transferable to other cases to inform future baleen whales rescue protocols in anthropogenic environments.
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BibTeX
@article{olhasque2026successful,
title = {{Successful Rescue of a Juvenile Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) Trapped Upstream of the Rance Tidal Power Station, Brittany, France}},
author = {Oihana Olhasque and Léanne Carpentier and Matthieu Duchemin and Jean-Luc Jung and Cécile Dars and Florian Boucard and Sophie Labrut and Joëlle de Weerdt},
journal = {Animals},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.3390/ani15233503},
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05558327v1},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Successful Rescue of a Juvenile Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) Trapped Upstream of the Rance Tidal Power Station, Brittany, France
AU - Oihana Olhasque
AU - Léanne Carpentier
AU - Matthieu Duchemin
AU - Jean-Luc Jung
AU - Cécile Dars
AU - Florian Boucard
AU - Sophie Labrut
AU - Joëlle de Weerdt
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/04
JO - Animals
DO - 10.3390/ani15233503
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05558327v1
AB - Rescue operations involving baleen whales trapped in dammed environments are difficult to perform successfully, yet increasingly relevant under growing coastal development. We report on a two-day (9–10 February 2023) rescue of a juvenile humpback whale trapped upstream of the Rance Tidal Power Station (TPS) in Brittany, France, providing rare peer-review evidence on response strategies in highly engineered estuaries. A collaborative, non-invasive strategy was implemented by adjusting water levels and creating artificial tidal currents to prevent the whale from stranding and to guide the individual back to open water. Approximately 100 people were mobilized as part of the rescue operation. This paper describes a detailed spatiotemporal account of the whale’s movements and a chronological record of the actions taken by the rescue team. After several attempts to guide it out, rescue efforts enabled its successful exit from the estuary on the second day of operations, and it was not subsequently reported stranded along the French coast. This case demonstrates the value of rapid multidisciplinary coordination between the French National Stranding Network (composed of marine scientists, veterinarians and local correspondents), local organizations, the local marine biology station, international marine mammal experts, national institutions, authorities and a tidal energy operator. Beyond documenting an unusual event, this paper provides operational lessons, highlighting (i) the adaptative management of a TPS as a guidance tool, (ii) the prioritization of animal welfare and responders’ safety, (iii) the effective public and media management and (iv) the involvement of trained volunteers during the rescue, promoting environmentally responsible behavior. These insights are transferable to other cases to inform future baleen whales rescue protocols in anthropogenic environments.
SN - 2076-2615
ER -