Beached whale seen on banks of Seine

The 20-metre whale was seen near to Notre-Dame cathedral. But it was actually not a real whale at all, merely a plastic creation by a Belgian artists’ collective called Captain Boomer.

"Intrigued, I approached and I found that Belgian specialists dressed in white coats were examining the beast. They explained to me that the whale had surely died that night of exhaustion from swimming. The scientists added that the phenomenon could happen again since there is a group of several sperm whales in the Seine," a passerby told Le Figaro.

The collective behind the whale was formed in 2008 and is based in Antwerp. They create location-based shows that explore the boundaries between reality and fiction, and all their artwork has an ecological bent.

“There is an important educational dimension to the beaching. Together with real scientists, we supply ample information about sperm whales and why they beach. The audience witnesses a scientific intervention. Autopsy, sampling, dissection etc. are acted out in detail. We also show people parasites, teeth and samples of skin and (real) spermaceti oil. The site is often very popular with school classes and children,” say the artists.

The collective has created similar installations in other locations as part of their ‘whale beaching’ project. Last year they installed a scene in Rennes.