Whales found dead after pod spotted in Thames
Tom HadleyTwo whales have died after a pod was spotted in the Thames Estuary.
British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) said it was called after reports that 25 long-finned pilot whales were seen close to Coalhouse Fort at East Tilbury and at Tilbury in Essex on Thursday.
One whale, a female, was found dead on Saturday and another was found on Sunday morning.
Their presence in the Thames and the southern North Sea was uncommon, said a BDMLR spokesperson.
Long-finned pilot whales typically favour cooler, temperate waters beyond the continental shelf in the Atlantic Ocean.
The pod was first spotted on Thursday, but the BDMLR said one showed signs of illness and became separated from the group on Friday morning before being found near East Tilbury.
Kent Fire and Rescue Service, HM Coastguard and Port of London Authority teams attended, along with members of the BDMLR. They found two whales — one deceased and one alive.
The live animal refloated on the incoming tide after dark and rejoined the rest of the group, the BDMLR said.
"The deceased whale was a female measuring approximately three metres, which is around the length for maturity and it is possible that a debilitated member of the pod is the reason for the animals to have come into this unusual situation," the group said.
Christina McAvoy/BDMLR/PA MediaOn Saturday, an attempt was made to "herd" the animals from Gravesend in Kent out to the North Sea.
After six hours, covering 20 miles, the pod reached the outer limits of the estuary, but one of the whales separated from the group and showed signs of illness, the BDMLR said.
The female whale briefly became stranded at Canvey Island in Essex before refloating, but was found dead on Sunday morning after searches by the local coastguard and BDMLR.
Post-mortem examinations will be carried out on both whales.
The marine rescue group said it was hoped the rest of the pod had continued into the North Sea.
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