A 14-foot killer whale stranded up the Horikawa River in Japan swam back to the sea after local authorities and aquarium officials banged metal rods in the water with the hope that the whale would swim away from the noise, according to AP reports. Local aquarium officials speculated that city lights may have attracted the whale away from its pod while chasing a school of fish near the mouth of the river before it eventually swam 2.4 miles up to the city of Nagoya.

Progress stalled at one point when the whale had difficulty negotiating a bridge support, and rescuers were worried it might become exhausted. Eventually the male orca swam back to the sea, cheered on by thousands of spectators. The whale brought the city to a standstill as a traffic gridlock ensued when residents flocked to the riverbank to catch a glimpse of it. While smaller animals, like porpoises, are found up the river, it was the first time a killer whale had been sighted.