Whale swims up River Thames to central London

Adrian Bamforth · 20 January, 2006, 09:02:33 PM

LONDON (Reuters) - A small whale was spotted in the River Thames in central London on Friday, a rare event which drew large crowds of sightseers.

A whale expert from the Natural History Museum said it was a Northern Bottle-nosed Whale. Witnesses said it was between 5 and 8 metres in length.

"The Natural History Museum has been recording strandings since 1913 and this is the first record of this

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species for the Thames," the expert, Richard Sabin told Reuters.
Peter Evans of the Sea Watch foundation said the creature could be so far up the river either because it was sick and had become disorientated or had simply got lost chasing fish.

"Sighting of things like Porpoises in the estuary have become more frequent in the past five years -- indicating that fish have become more abundant which in turn shows how much cleaner the river is than it used to be," he told Reuters.

Police boats tracked the animal as it cautiously circled, moving gradually upstream, and television cameras carried the images live.

+rufus+ · 20 January, 2006, 09:06:01 PM

You been drinking in work hours again Ade?
;-) R

Bico · 20 January, 2006, 09:14:30 PM

Did it bollocks.

Oddboy · 20 January, 2006, 09:25:15 PM

I don't think they say if it's a male or female whale, so I don't know about it's bollocks or lack of.

Link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4631396.stm" target="_blank">BBC News: Whale!

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/41237000/jpg/_41237848_whale203.jpg">

LARF · 20 January, 2006, 10:31:18 PM

"But at 0830 GMT on Friday, a man on a train called in to say he might have been hallucinating, but he had just seen a whale in the Thames."

Classic!

+rufus+ · 20 January, 2006, 10:32:51 PM

Maybe it's me who needs a drink....

El Spurioso · 20 January, 2006, 10:35:56 PM

It's been live on the sky channels for hours. Like a journo's feeding frenzy, down there. There's one layer of gulls hoping for an easy snack when the poor bugger gives up the ghost and gets beached, and another layer of paps with levitation suits hoping for a good shot of the same.

True Fact: In a very old law that has never been repealed, any whale that washes-up on an English shore MUST be offered to the royal household to "furnish the queen's wardrobe with whalebone" before anyone else gets dibs.

+rufus+ · 20 January, 2006, 10:38:08 PM

Liz gets all the best stuff...whales,swan,jewels... I wonder if she gets Charlie's Duchy Jams cheap too?

Funt Solo · 20 January, 2006, 10:57:22 PM

It's only a matter of time before a Japanese whaling fleet arrives, closely followed by Greenpeace and the French secret service.

It's the start of World War III, I tell you.

(Shut up, Pat: I know it's already begun!)

Bico · 20 January, 2006, 11:19:42 PM

It's in the Thames and *still* it lives?
Witchcraft!

Bico · 20 January, 2006, 11:22:06 PM

Actually, I've just turned over to the news channels, and all joking aside - that water is bloody pigging. it just seems to be different shades of green and brown.
Poor bugger.

Artificial Idiot · 21 January, 2006, 02:57:42 AM

Pretty bizarre - They reckon the poor thing might have been coming into die. Certainly picked an akward spot for it...

Link: http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/europe/01/20/britain.whale/index.html?section=cnn_latest" target="_blank">'... certain problems in terms of safety...'

hag · 21 January, 2006, 04:48:38 AM

stupid whale.

Adrian Bamforth · 21 January, 2006, 04:57:09 AM

How long before they unzip the whale suit to find the latest Fathers For Justice protestor?

ADE

Quirkafleeg · 21 January, 2006, 05:29:41 AM

I suspect Blair through it in to deflect from the Education row(s)