Vets euthanize minke whale lost in London's River Thames
May 10, 2021
It was unclear why the whale traveled nearly so far upstream. One witness described it as like "seeing a camel at the North Pole."
The whale traveled hundreds of miles off course into waters that would not suit herImage: Yui Mok/WIRE/dpa/picture alliance
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A minke calf whale that lost her way in London's River Thames was euthanized on Monday, despite efforts of rescuers from several groups.
"It's suffering quite badly, it has been for about the last 45 minutes," said Julia Cable, national co-ordinator for the British Divers Marine Life Rescue. "We're just trying to ease any suffering."
The London Fire Brigade had attempted to free the roughly 4.5 meter (15 feet) long whale the previous night.
A Port of London Authority spokesman said a whale had never traveled so far up the river, traveling 95 miles (150 kilometers) along the river's mouth to a dropping tide near Teddington in southwest London.
"It's like seeing a camel at the North Pole," said spokesman Martin Garside.
Despite their best efforts, the rescuers could only euthanize the calfImage: Yui Mok/WIRE/dpa/picture alliance
Small chance for survival
It would be very difficult for the whale to survive much longer in the river, as nutrition sources in the river are scarce for the creature, whose natural habitat is the northern North Sea. It was unclear why the whale swam into the Thames.
"This whale could have become lost whilst following prey, or could be ill or injured," Danny Groves of the Whale and Dolphin Conservation told Reuters. "Equally, many whales and dolphins get into difficulty because they may have been struck by a vessel at sea, injured in fishing nets, driven off course by loud underwater noise from seismic surveys for oil or gas, or loud underwater sonar from military exercises."
The small size of the whale suggested it was still maternally or socially dependent and unable to live on its own.
"It's nutritionally in a poor state. Either it's been separated from its mum too early, or something's happened…it's run out of energy," said national coordinator for the BDMLR Julia Cable.
What happens to beached whales?
Every year thousands of whales are found stranded on beaches all over the world. But how do they get there? And what happens once they hit the shore?
Image: picture-alliance/Pacific Press/A. H. Firsawan
A team effort
Earlier this month, locals in Aceh, Indonesia, teamed up to try and help 10 sperm whales that beached themselves in shallow waters. Volunteers managed to pull six of the animals back out to sea, but four died. There is no real consensus on why whales become stranded, but there are plenty of ideas...
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/M. Yani
Follow the leader
Some whale species live in social groups known as 'pods', each of which has a leader the other animals swim behind. If the lead animal finds itself close to the shore and in trouble, it can send out a distress signal. The whales following behind may try to help and end up stranded themselves. There is also the possibility that whales become caught while chasing prey.
Image: picture-alliance/Zumapress/R. Azhari
Manmade strandings
Another school of thought on why whales become beached suggests that overfishing forces the marine mammals to seek food in unfamiliar and potentially shallow waters where they become trapped. There is also some evidence that naval sonar can disrupt and confuse the animals while migrating.
Image: picture-alliance/Zumapress/R. Azhari
Evading the deep
If a whale perishes deep in the murky depths of the sea, its body sinks to the bottom providing nourishment for a plethora of other animals and organisms for years, even decades to come. But those already close to the shore, may wash up on the beach, like this whale that appeared in Rio de Janeiro. If this happens, the animals decompose on the sand - a phenomenon that can cause other problems.
Image: picture-alliance/AA/F. Teixeira
An explosive response
Though these sunbathers appear undeterred, the stench of a putrifying whale carcass would be enough to put many off their holiday. And the smell is not the only issue. When one of these ocean giants dies and begins to decompose, gases build up in its stomach where they are trapped by a thick layer of blubber. If humans climb on, or try to move the dead whale, it can explode.
Image: Getty Images/M. Tama
A sandy grave
Disposing of a whale that has washed ashore can be a difficult task. Because they can pose a risk to public health, leaving them to rot on the beach is not an option. The best way, say some environmentalists, is to bury them on the beach itself, as was the case with the four whales that died in Aceh.
Image: picture-alliance/Pacific Press/A. H. Firsawan
