Could we have saved the Thames whale?
27 January 2006
Londoners flooded to the banks of the river Thames this week for a spot of whale-watching. But delight turned to sadness as the whale died before she could be returned home. Could we have tried harder to rescue her? Antenna investigates...
Image: The Marine Connection
What was the whale doing in the Thames?
Experts think that this kind of whale sometimes swims into the North Sea by mistake by taking a wrong turn at Scotland. They try to swim home by heading west - fine if they find the English Channel, but not if they end up in a river like the Thames.
Northern bottlenose whales normally live 1000 metres deep in the Atlantic Ocean.
Image: Graeme Cresswell
'We think this could be the most likely scenario for the Thames whale. It would also explain why the animal decided not to try and swim back out of the Thames.'
Paul Jepson, vet in charge of monitoring the condition of the whale, Zoological Society of London
Paul Jepson, vet in charge of monitoring the condition of the whale, Zoological Society of London
Paul Jepson, vet in charge of monitoring the condition of the whale, Zoological Society of London
Image: Zoological Society of London
So why did she die?
We now know that the whale probably died because she was severely dehydrated. She also had some damage to her muscles and problems with her kidneys.
We now know that the whale probably died because she was severely dehydrated. She also had some damage to her muscles and problems with her kidneys.
It might seem surprising that a whale could die of thirst, but whales and dolphins get all the water they need from the food they eat - in this case, deep-sea squid that the North Sea and the Thames can't provide.
Image: Rod Penrose/Marine Environmental Monitoring
Shouldn't the rescue have started sooner?
The rescue team didn't wade in to grab the whale while she was swimming freely because it would have been too dangerous and could have frightened her. They took action when she got stranded in shallow water near Battersea Bridge.
Image: Chantelle Taylor
The team cradled the creature between two long inflatable cushions and used a crane to lift her onto a barge to start her journey back to the sea. On the way, the whale deteriorated and died.
'It is sad that the whale died, but we really did give it the best chance possible.'
Alan Knight, whale rescue expert, British Divers Marine Life Rescue
Alan Knight, whale rescue expert, British Divers Marine Life Rescue
Image: Mark Stevens/British Divers Marine Life Rescue
Would another rescue plan have worked better?
The rescue team did think about hoisting the whale up in a cargo net attached to a helicopter and airlifting her out to sea. But they were worried about what might have gone wrong.
Whale rescue volunteers practise using the inflatable cushions, known as pontoons, with a water-filled inflatable whale.
Image: British Divers Marine Life Rescue
'The odds were slim that we could successfully rescue this whale. We were very worried about its condition.'Paul Jepson
Experts also considered broadcasting whale song underwater to try and tempt the whale to turn around and swim back out to sea. But she was in such a bad way they didn't think it would work.
The whale sadly died as the rescue team were trying to get her back to the sea.
Image: Brett Lewis/British Divers Marine Life Rescue
Will more whales make their way up the Thames?Whale sightings in London are rare, but hundreds of whales, dolphins and porpoises are washed up on the UK seashore every year. Why?
Most animals that get stranded have already died, some by getting accidentally caught in fishing nets. But some are still alive and scientists think they might have just lost their way.
Image: Jenny Waldron/British Divers Marine Life Rescue
Marine mammals may use the Earth's magnetic field to navigate. On some parts of our coastline, the magnetic field curves into the shore and strandings seem to be more common where this happens.
Some experts are also worried that underwater sources of man-made noise could be harming certain species of whales and dolphins.