Rescue attempt launched for whale in the Thames

A rescue attempt has been launched after a rare whale was spotted in the Thames on Friday.

The whale, which has been identified as a northern bottle-nosed whale, was spotted around 08:30am on Friday morning. It is the first time that this type of animal has been spotted in the Thames since 1913, when records began.

Hundreds of people gathered to watch the whale as it passed Parliament buildings on Friday morning.

However, in the afternoon there were reports that the whale had appeared to be in distress. There are also fears that the animal is injured, with some reports that blood had been spotted on its tail.

The northern bottle-nosed whale, which is 16-18-ft long, is usually found in deep-sea waters. They are normally seen in the north Atlantic off Norway and the Barents Sea, and off northern Britain and Ireland in the summer.

The whales usually have bulbous foreheads, resembling very large bottle-nosed dolphins, and can grow up to 10 metres in length. Experts describe the species as "inquisitive".

The British Divers Marine Life group first received reports of the whale sighting on Thursday night. Another whale was also spotted, according to reports.

It is not known how the animal made its way into the Thames.

Rescuers are hoping that the whale can be directed to swim back out to sea or can be towed. There are fears that the longer it remains in the Thames, the more danger there is that it may weaken and become beached.

Liz Sandeman, a medic from the whale and dolphin protection charity Marine Connection, said that the whale looked healthy and relaxed, but warned that boats in the Thames could pose a risk to the animal and it could also become frightened by the noise. She said: "The last thing we want to do is stress the animal out."

(KMcA)