The Plankton Forums

by **tori baker** » January 20, 2006 - 8:03 am

Whale swims through London in River Thames – a first since 1913
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/worl ... whale.html

LONDON – It's a whale of a tale – a bottle-nosed whale swimming up the River Thames past Big Ben and Parliament on Friday as rows of worried Londoners looked on.

The whale was spotted in the afternoon as it flailed around in the murky waters of the Thames, stirring up patches of what looked like blood as seagulls hovered above and rescue boats stood at the ready. It was the first sighting of a Northern bottle-nosed whale in the river since 1913.

Witness Tom Howard-Vyne said he saw the mammal swim under Westminster Bridge, near Big Ben. "I saw it blow. It was a spout of water which sparkled in the air," said Howard-Vyne. "It was an amazing sight."

Other witnesses reported seeing a second whale in another part of the river Friday, and marine experts spotted two disoriented whales off northeastern Scotland last week, suggesting something was causing bottle-nosed whales to become confused.

"It is a race against time to save the animal," said Alison Shaw, marine and freshwater conservation program manager at the Zoological Society of London.

A small armada of boats was planning to help the whale late Friday at high tide. One of the boats was equipped with a cradle in case the whale again beached itself. It had already beached itself at least twice Friday, and it was unclear how long it could survive in the river.

Witnesses reported seeing injuries to the whale – which was an estimated 17 feet long – and said its snout was bloodied. Photos also appeared to show damage to one of the whale's eyes and a number of cuts to its torso.

Several onlookers jumped into the 48-degree water, splashing to try to coax the mammal away from shore. Members of the Whale Watch conservation group also ferried across the river to assess its condition.

Bottle-nosed whales normally live in the northern Atlantic, diving deeply and traveling in pods. They can reach 26 feet long – the size of a red double-decker London bus.

When sick, old or injured, whales often get disoriented and swim away from their pod, said Mark Simmonds, science director at Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society.

Last week, marine officials said they saw two bottle-nosed whales off northeastern Scotland when the mammals are normally seen off northwestern Scotland. That, coupled with the sighting Friday of a second whale in a different part of the Thames, could suggest that something is disrupting the whales, said Laila Sadler, scientific officer at the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

There are many possible reasons whales become disoriented. Scientists have said fluctuating ocean temperatures, predators, lack of food and even sonar from ships can send them into waters that threaten their survival.

Friday's sighting drew hundreds of people and scores of television crews to the river's banks. Television screens carried pictures of the whale for most of the day, captivating Londoners who called radio and television stations asking if they could help.

It was the first time a Northern bottle-nosed whale has been seen in the Thames since the Natural History Museum began recording such sightings in 1913, museum zoologist Richard Sabin said.

He said bottle-nosed whales rarely swim in water as shallow as the Thames, which has an average depth of between 20 and 26 feet.

A minke whale was sighted in the Thames about six years ago, but not as far upstream.

"I am very concerned for the safety of this animal at the moment, particularly if boat traffic increases in the river," said Laila Sadler, scientific officer at the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

See also: http://thestar.com.my/ and http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4632696.stm and http://www.nytimes.com/

by **David** » January 20, 2006 - 2:21 pm

Zoological Society of London (ZSL) in race to save London’s whale

ZSL has dispatched its marine mammal veterinary pathologist, Paul Jepson, to the banks of the Thames to assist with the rescue of this special animal spotted just this morning in river.

Read on >> http://www.zsl.org/whipsnade/news/zsl-i ... 30,NS.html

by **David** » January 21, 2006 - 8:13 am

Rescuers try to save whale stranded in River Thames

LONDON (AP) — Veterinarians and rescuers waded into the River Thames on Saturday after a lost and distressed whale tried to beach itself, taking medical tests and attaching an inflatable pontoon to the 17-foot-long animal as Londoners jammed the riverbanks to watch the drama.

Read on >> http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2006 ... hale_x.htm

by **David** » January 22, 2006 - 5:58 am

London rescue effort fails when whale dies

By Tom Hundley
Tribune foreign correspondent
Published January 22, 2006

LONDON -- A desperate rescue effort ended in disappointment Saturday when a whale that swam up the River Thames into the heart of London died before it could be returned to open waters.

The northern bottlenose whale, 18 feet long and weighing about 4 tons, captivated the imagination of Londoners and much of the world's media Friday when it sailed past Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament.

It was clear the creature was disoriented and perhaps ill. Rescuers tried to turn it downstream, but the whale seemed uninterested.

On Saturday morning, a decision was made to hoist the whale onto a barge and take it out to open water--a calculated risk because the weight of the mammal out of water tends to stress its internal organs. Thousands gathered on the riverbank to watch as the whale was winched aboard a barge. They cheered the rescuers, but many sensed that the whale's chances were not good.

"Yesterday, it was a carnival mood, but today it was a bit sad. It felt like a funeral on the river," said Silvia Mazzola, who watched from the Albert Bridge.

The plan was to release the whale into the open waters of the English Channel, about 40 miles downstream, but this turned into an unsuccessful race against time for the slow-moving barge. About 7 p.m.--still two hours away from open sea--the whale suffered convulsions and died.

"There was always the risk this would happen," Leila Sadler of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals told The Associated Press.

"It was already dehydrated, hadn't been feeding, and being out of water would have, in effect, shriveled the animal's internal organs," she said.

SOURCE: http://www.chicagotribune.com/

by **David** » January 23, 2006 - 9:15 am

The Sunday Times - Britain
January 22, 2006
Daniel Foggo

Global reaction: World wallows in giant’s plight

THE plight of the stranded whale was flashed around the world yesterday as millions took a keen interest in the desperate attempt to rescue it. The incongruity of a behemoth cruising through the heart of a great city gripped television viewers and stretched newspaper headline writers to the limit.

“Whale of a good show in London”, reported the Los Angeles Times. “New Prince of Whales — thar she blows!” countered the New York Post. Even The New York Times soberly offered: “Mysterious visitor creates new ripples on Thames”.

Unable to resist impressing New Yorkers with its ability to put the whale incident into the context of London’s 2,000 years of colourful history, The New York Times went on: “Of course, London’s great stream is no stranger to the bizarre and fascinating. There have been bodies hung from bridges, seals and porpoises in the water and even a piranha that fell from the sky when a seagull dropped it onto a boat.”

La Vanguardia, the Spanish daily, ran the headline “A whale visits Big Ben” next to a large picture of the animal’s fin cruising past parliament. Other Spanish newspapers used the photograph with similar prominence.

In France a television announcer conceded, with more than a tinge of envy in his voice, that such an impressive marine mammal had never, sadly, been sighted in the Seine.

In Australia, Victoria’s Sunday Herald Sun warned “Whale of a time may end in tears”, presciently foreshadowing yesterday’s unsuccessful rescue.

Susan Blackmore, an expert in the psychology of ideas, explained why the London whale had become an international phenomenon. “There is a very deep affinity between humans and whales because they are one of the very few animals that can imitate,” she said. “They copy each other, which results in the amazing songs they sing underwater, but that ability is very rare in the animal world and we are drawn to it.”

Naomi Rose, who tried to rehabilitate Keiko, a captive killer whale that starred in the Free Willy films, said whales hold an enduring fascination because they are “intelligent and social yet inhabit a world where we are utterly out of our element”.

Among the whaling nations coverage of the London visitor was conspicuous by its absence. The animal’s struggle to regain the safety of open water left Japan and Norway cold.

Kyodo, Japan’s domestic news service, failed to give the whale’s exertions even a mention. In Norway, where whales are also regarded foremost as a source of income, there was no interest in the British obsession with rescuing the lost mammal.

Instead the Aftensposten newspaper concentrated on the travails of Rune Gjeldnes, the Antarctic explorer, who yesterday found that he had lost one of his skis.

SOURCE: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0, ... 64,00.html

by **marteee** » January 26, 2006 - 1:39 am

Such a shame that a story which made International headlines, had such a sad ending... Still, it did bring much needed attention to the plight of one our Planet's most wondrous beasts.

An unashamed plug, if I may... I've pointed them out before but the attempted rescue was organised by British Divers Marine Life Rescue. You can read their own report on the site and see some of the other brilliant things they do - an incredibly dedicated bunch of guys (and gals).