Hopes Fade for River Thames Minke Whale

Hopes Fade for River Thames Minke Whale.

Sadly, hopes fade for River Thames minke whale that had become stranded.

The young minke whale had become trapped after travelling a staggering distance up the river Thames near London. This is the first time that a whale has been seen this far from the river’s mouth which is expected to make a rescue difficult.

Many people joined in to help with the rescue including firefighters, port staff, marine animal rescue divers and members of the Coast Guard. The whale’s condition was sadly deteriorating on Monday and it was feared that the whale would soon become stranded as tides dropped.

According to the British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR), “Once the whale is beached a veterinary team will be on stand by to euthanize the animal to end its suffering.”

It was expected that if the whale was able to make it back to deeper water that due to its injuries and its ordeal it would have difficulties in swimming. Rescue crews had spent hours attempting to rescue the minke whale on Monday after it became stranded near Richmond.

Rescuers were able to free the whale on Monday but sadly as it was being transported on an inflatable pontoon in order for health checks to be carried out it again entered the water as reported AP News.

The whale was first spotted on Sunday night and measured in at around four metres long. As the rescue operation commence hundreds people congregated at the side of the Thames in order to watch the rescue mission.

Martin Garside, spokesman for the Port of London Authority explained how rare it was to see a whale here and said, “This animal is very, very lost,

“It’s like seeing a camel at the North Pole.”

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