Fears For Thames Whale

[-Tigger-]

http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0...209846,00.html

Fears For Thames Whale
Updated: 16:26, Friday January 20, 2006

Attempts are under way to rescue a whale swimming in the River Thames.

You can see live coverage on Sky News.

The 15ft northern bottle-nosed whale reached as far up river as Chelsea before it turned round short of the Albert Bridge.

It is now moving back down the Thames - with hundreds of spectators lining both banks to witness the extraordinary scene.

It is the first time this type of animal has been seen in the Thames since records began in 1913.

There are concerns for the whale's welfare as it has appeared to be in distress on several occasions.

Whale rescuer Tony Martin told Sky News he was "acutely concerned".

"It's certainly not a well animal, it's probably very distressed and disorientated," he said. "I would think it's very unlikely it will find its way out."

Laila Sadler, from the RSPCA, told Sky News rescuers would try to encourage the whale out to sea before using any "hands-on invasive" approach.

"It is so unusual to see a deep sea species like this in this environment," she said.
There are fears for the whale
There are fears for the whale

Members of Whale Watch are onboard a police boat assessing its condition.

Earlier, rescuers had to force the whale back into the centre of the river after it seemed to beach itself.

Leah Garcez, from the World Society for the Protection of Animals, told Sky News: "They need to get it back out to sea obviously."

"Hopefully it will find its own way back out. You need to find a way to do it without causing it distress."

The Sky News helicopter is beaming live images of the whale as it journeys along the river.

Eyewitness Tom Howard-Vyne said: "I saw it blow, it was a spout of water which sparkled in the air. It was an amazing sight."

There have also been reports of a sighting of a second whale in Southend.

Northern bottle-nosed whales are normally seen in the north Atlantic off Norway and the Barents Sea and off northern Britain and Ireland in the summer.

They have a bulbous forehead and look like a very large bottle-nosed dolphin.

The species can grow to 10 metres in length and is described by experts as "inquisitive".

More follows...