Kyyle23 Posted January 20, 2006 Share Posted January 20, 2006 http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/europe/01/20...hale/index.html LONDON, England -- Fears are growing among marine experts after what is believed to be a Northern Bottle-nosed Whale was spotted swimming in the River Thames in the heart of London. One whale rescuer, Tony Martin, said that such whales were normally only found in very deep water and would require a specialist rescue operation. "This is a unique experience. Northern Bottle-nosed Whales are normally only found in very deep water so the fact it's here probably means it's ill. This is going to take a number of boats and organization to coax it back into deeper water," Martin told Sky News on Friday. "This is not going to be an easy job." Another expert from the Natural History Museum, Richard Sabin, told the Press Association it was the first sighting of the species in the Thames since records began in 1913, he said. Police boats tracked the whale, which is between 5 and 8 meters (15 to 24 feet) in length, as it cautiously circled near the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, moving gradually upstream, and television news helicopters hovered above. A second whale was also spotted further east, nearer the mouth of the river, in Southend, TV news stations reported. In central London, three men waded into the river when the whale beached near the landmark Battersea Power Station. They splashed the water to make it swim away and punched the air in celebration as it moved off. Blood appeared to be coming from its body. Peter Evans of the Sea Watch foundation said the creature was either sick, had become disorientated or had simply got lost chasing fish. "It can dive to 3,000 metres and stay submerged for an hour. It will only come into such shallow waters if it is ill. But in doing so it is committing suicide." "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. A police spokeswoman said officers were called to Jubilee Bridge in central London at about 9 a.m. "The whale is not thought to be in good condition and may be injured," she PA. The force's Thames Unit, based at Wapping, is working with the Royal National Lifeboat Institution to ensure boats can move up and down the river. Members of Whale Watch were allowed onboard a police boat in a bid to assess the condition of the animal. Eyewitness Tom Howard-Vyne described the animal. "I saw it blow, it was a spout of water which sparkled in the air," he told PA. "I think it's being looked after by a lifeboat to make sure it doesn't get disturbed by the shipping in the river. It was an amazing sight." Liz Downey, education manager at the London Aquarium, added: "It's unbelievable. I've never seen one of those in the wild. It's absolutely incredible -- it has made our day," she told Reuters. Dolphins sighted The Thames has received many unexpected visitors over the years -- including dolphins, seals and porpoises. Sperm whales -- which grow to 14 meters -- have been spotted in the Thames Estuary and 10 years ago a minke whale died after becoming stranded on the shore of the Thames at Purfleet, Essex. A family of harbor porpoises were once spotted feasting on fish off Vauxhall Bridge in the center of the capital, while common seals have been regular visitors to the waters around Canary Wharf, the Thames Barrier and near Tower Bridge. Dolphins have been reported enjoying the waters near Southend in Essex, just inside the mouth of the river. A survey by the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) last year received 103 sightings by the public, of a total of 197 animals, in the river, mostly near the estuary. That included more than 100 seals, 62 porpoises and 18 dolphins. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlaSoxxJim Posted January 20, 2006 Share Posted January 20, 2006 If it dies maybe Greenpeace will haul it over to drop of at the Japan embassy building. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kyyle23 Posted January 20, 2006 Author Share Posted January 20, 2006 (edited) QUOTE(FlaSoxxJim @ Jan 20, 2006 -> 10:58 AM) If it dies maybe Greenpeace will haul it over to drop of at the Japan embassy building. What are you talking about? Norway is on the way with their harpoons ready to slay that b**** and put it on a plate! Edited January 20, 2006 by kyyle23 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
farmteam Posted January 20, 2006 Share Posted January 20, 2006 I always knew London was one whale of a city. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanOfCorn Posted January 20, 2006 Share Posted January 20, 2006 QUOTE(farmteam @ Jan 20, 2006 -> 11:10 AM) I always knew London was one whale of a city. BOOOOOOOOOO!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southsider2k5 Posted January 20, 2006 Share Posted January 20, 2006 Nah, that's just the Queen Mum going for a dip... Kidding! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WilliamTell Posted January 20, 2006 Share Posted January 20, 2006 QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Jan 20, 2006 -> 11:30 AM) Nah, that's just the Queen Mum going for a dip... Kidding! lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kid Gleason Posted January 20, 2006 Share Posted January 20, 2006 He just got sidetracked on his trip to... ...wait for it... ...Wales. Duh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heads22 Posted January 20, 2006 Share Posted January 20, 2006 QUOTE(Kid Gleason @ Jan 20, 2006 -> 12:04 PM) He just got sidetracked on his trip to... ...wait for it... ...Wales. Duh. Weak sauce, kid, weak sauce. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iwritecode Posted January 20, 2006 Share Posted January 20, 2006 I read once that it's illegal to hunt for whales in any lake, stream or river in Ohio. It's also illegal to mis-pronounce the name of the town of Joliet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reddy Posted January 20, 2006 Share Posted January 20, 2006 QUOTE(Iwritecode @ Jan 20, 2006 -> 03:16 PM) I read once that it's illegal to hunt for whales in any lake, stream or river in Ohio. It's also illegal to mis-pronounce the name of the town of Joliet. just out of curiosity how does that relate... at all... interesting facts nonetheless! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iwritecode Posted January 20, 2006 Share Posted January 20, 2006 QUOTE(Reddy @ Jan 20, 2006 -> 02:30 PM) just out of curiosity how does that relate... at all... interesting facts nonetheless! I saw the title about a whale in a river and it made me think of it. Never seen a whale in a lake or stream though. Especially in Ohio... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kyyle23 Posted January 20, 2006 Author Share Posted January 20, 2006 (edited) QUOTE(Iwritecode @ Jan 20, 2006 -> 03:47 PM) I saw the title about a whale in a river and it made me think of it. Never seen a whale in a lake or stream though. Especially in Ohio... There was a newspaper article that came out a couple of years ago that listed all kinds of off the wall laws that were never changed or removed through the passage of time, and most of them were hilarious. There is some town where the newly elected mayor is supposed to recieve his choice of the towns daughters and livestock from the farmers(probably where the Simpsons got it from, anyone remember the monorail episode where Quimby and Chief Wiggum are going over the city charter?), and some places where horse carraiges are illegal. All kinds of funny stuff. Edited January 21, 2006 by kyyle23 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Milkman delivers Posted January 21, 2006 Share Posted January 21, 2006 QUOTE(kyyle23 @ Jan 20, 2006 -> 06:21 PM) There was a newspaper article that came out a couple of years ago that listed all kinds of off the wall laws that were never changed or removed through the passage of time, and most of them were hilarious. There is some town where the newly elected mayor is supposed to recieve his choice of the towns daughters and livestock from the farmers(probably where the Simpsons got it from, anyone remember the monorail episode where Quimby and the Mayor are going over the city charter?), and some places where horse carraiges are illegal. All kinds of funny stuff. And two comely lasses of virtue true. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kyyle23 Posted January 21, 2006 Author Share Posted January 21, 2006 QUOTE(Milkman delivers @ Jan 20, 2006 -> 08:46 PM) And two comely lasses of virtue true. Yeah Yeah Yeah, what does the mayor get? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kyyle23 Posted January 21, 2006 Author Share Posted January 21, 2006 http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/europe/01/21...hale/index.html LONDON, England (CNN) -- Rescuers have lifted a stranded whale out of London's Thames River and were taking it by barge toward the open sea. But experts warned they may not be able to save the animal's life. Thousands of people watched from the riverbanks as Saturday's rescue operation was taking place a day after the whale was first spotted in the British capital. Rescuers used a sling and a crane to lift the whale out of the river and onto the barge. Two small boats had towed the whale upriver to the barge after rescuers placed an inflatable yellow pontoon system under and around the animal as the river reached low tide. Tony Woodley of the British Divers Marine Life Rescue told Sky News the barge would travel east toward the North Sea while experts continued to assess the whale's health. If the whale is in "reasonably good condition, it will be released in as deep a water as we can go," Woodley said. However, if the whale is in poor condition, he indicated it would be euthanized. "We cannot release it only to have it just die," he said. The whale "is obviously distressed and tired and we must warn that there may not be a happy ending to this unfolding saga," Woodley told Reuters earlier. Blood samples from the whale were taken to a nearby hospital for tests, The Associated Press reported. Between 2,000 and 3,000 onlookers were gathered along bridges and riverbanks in the area of the rescue operation, police said. The crowd erupted in cheers and applause when the whale was lifted onto the barge. Martin Garside of the Port of London Authority said one of Britain's foremost whale experts was leading the medical examination of the animal. Garside said the whale was tired and had suffered some skin abrasions but appeared to be in reasonably good health. Experts have determined that the whale is an adolescent and not dependent on its mother, which is a positive sign, Garside said. On Friday and again on Saturday, thousands of Britons came to the Thames with their children and their cameras to see the whale. It was first spotted by a commuter who told police he must be hallucinating. By that time, it had slipped under Tower Bridge and headed upriver past Big Ben. By Saturday morning, it had moved upstream several miles and was near Battersea Bridge. The whale's upriver direction troubled experts, who said it was a possible indication the animal was sick, confused or both. "It's heavily scarred and it's got what looks like an infected wound behind the left eye, and it seems to be tired and exhausted," said Edwin Timewell of the Atlantic Whale Foundation. "Just by intuition, it doesn't look very well." The whale apparently has injuries on its nose and tail as well. It beached itself twice Friday, and by the time night fell it was swimming aimlessly in fresh water. "It's got quite a bit of damage around its head area and is flexing in an unnatural manner," said Mark Stevens of British Marine Rescuers. If it had been allowed to beach again, said zoologist Richard Sabin, the whale's body weight would have put pressure on its lungs, resulting in additional stress on the animal. The whale is as big as a bus -- about 20 feet long -- and weighs an estimated 5 tons Hopefully this story ends up a happy ending, but unfortunately when Whales attempt to beach themselves, they tend to keep trying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Credepopsup Posted January 21, 2006 Share Posted January 21, 2006 QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Jan 20, 2006 -> 05:30 PM) Nah, that's just the Queen Mum going for a dip... Kidding! It would be pretty impressive if it was.. ..especially when you consider the fact, that she's dead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kapkomet Posted January 21, 2006 Share Posted January 21, 2006 And speaking of "dead"... the whale died. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060121/ap_on_sc/britain_whale Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kyyle23 Posted January 21, 2006 Author Share Posted January 21, 2006 QUOTE(kapkomet @ Jan 21, 2006 -> 03:31 PM) And speaking of "dead"... the whale died. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060121/ap_on_sc/britain_whale Sad, but I thought it would happen. Whales dont just wander like that, they usually do things like that when they are disoriented. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flash Tizzle Posted January 21, 2006 Share Posted January 21, 2006 It's only appropriate to honor this mammal by processing it's blubber into a delicious meal. Hell, we can ship it to Katrina victims and feed several dozen families. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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