Whale spotted in central London (1 Viewer)

David Hatton · Jan 21, 2006

This is it! - wow!

Had a fantastic day by thames watching the whale before it was caught, then got this shot by digiscoping from a respectable distance.
Lot of birders there I noticed - definitely a 'big twitch' feel to the day even though most onlookers had never lifted a pair of bins in their lives!
best
Dave

footnote: sadly, i see that the whale died on board a barge attempting to take it out of the Thames estuary whilst this message was being sent. A brave effort by the whale and its would-be rescuers.

Eagle · Jan 21, 2006

Well the barge carrying the WHALE is speeding towards Margate where if well enough will be released.

One good thing...whatever the result...and the Whale is def out of its natural environment...the media have given great coverage of both the organisation attempting recovery and also the plight of Whales world wide...http://www.bdmlr.org.uk/pages/main.html

Talons crossed for the mammal and all the helpers....whatever is the result.

Eagle · Jan 21, 2006

Sad news the Whale has died...

wowbagger · Jan 21, 2006

Here is a different view, http://www.talksmall.com/showthread.php?t=27

SueO · Jan 21, 2006

How very sad. Might the would be heros have had something to do with the death as stated by this Conan the Barbarian Librarian? Will they do an autopsy? I know that in California, these are done often if dolphins and whales can't be saved.

Edward woodwood · Jan 21, 2006

made it down there today with Ilya, Rich Moores and Becky and had a thoroughly fun filled day out dashing around central London. Definitely had the feel of an old fashioned big twitch... lots of civvies out too for a look. It's rather dark and not that large so i guess it must have been a young individual

Unfortunately the whale has now died. I'm sure there'll be a few people with the benefit of hindsight with criticisms of what's happened and how it's been handled. Sad end aside, we thoroughly enjoyed the day and were very glad we decided in a beer filled haze last nite to go down there.

Tim

willowa · Jan 21, 2006

It's very sad..

They only wanted to help the whale. It might have died if they had left it to its own devices.

Edward woodwood · Jan 21, 2006

wowbagger said:
Here is a different view, http://www.talksmall.com/showthread.php?t=27

'small talk' is about right

some cretinous views

also some extremely offensive comments on the first other thread i checked.

Tim

Jos Stratford · Jan 21, 2006

Saw all this on the BBC World Service ...remarkable event, but a real pity it ended with the death of the whale. However, congratulations to all those who gave their time to make the effort to try to save this animal. It ended not so well, but at least they gave it a chance ...once it was beached, without their attempts to get it back to the sea, there was no chance

Pie Face · Jan 21, 2006

Tim Allwood said:
also some extremely offensive comments on the first other thread i checked.

Tim

Yes. You wouldn't get anything like that on here

Edward woodwood · Jan 21, 2006

Deja-vu said:
Yes. You wouldn't get anything like that on here

true Mark

I was almost offended

for about a second

then i got my life back

:'D

Tim

another whale pic here http://www.cbsnews.com/images/2006/01/20/imageLTH10301201541.jpg

s.g. · Jan 21, 2006

Just hope some good comes of the sad news, at least its got people interested in whales and hopefully more people joining conservation groups.

S. G.

malgringo · Jan 21, 2006

Peregrinator said:
How very sad. Might the would be heros have had something to do with the death as stated by this Conan the Barbarian Librarian? Will they do an autopsy? I know that in California, these are done often if dolphins and whales can't be saved.

very sad end to a emotional day,but experts think that sonar has a lot to do with these beachings have there been nato exercises or any other sea gas tests etc?what have read makes you think if MAN again is to blame???thoughts on this?

Mickymouse · Jan 21, 2006

Tim Allwood said:
'small talk' is about right

some cretinous views

also some extremely offensive comments on the first other thread i checked.

Tim

I'm registered there and found that thread very annoying but I suspect this Conan character is the management trying to stir the place up and get it going.
Curious to know what this other thread is though?

Mick

SueO · Jan 22, 2006

Duh! I realized now that I'm on the net, I could read about the rescue attempt and find out why this Conan character said the 'do gooders' killed the whale. I must say that it doesn't look good. The reports I read were very unclear though. Was the whale left on the pontoons when it was lifted to the barge, or, was it resting on it's own weight and get crushed? I read it went into convulsions, but I guess not enough is known at this point. It must have been heartbreaking for those who tried to help.

I was also curious about this other thread. I read a thread about wind generators. Could that be it?

Katy Penland · Jan 22, 2006

I went over there to see what was being said since I have a long-time interest in whale conservation, and I couldn't bring myself to participate. I think Mick's right, that Conan person is just a pot-stirrer who's using some of the silliest reactionary lingo I've heard in years.

The Ex Beeb forum has a thread on the subject as well.

I'm curious, though, why anyone would seriously think the rescuers caused the whale's death? That animal was in dire straits before the rescue was launched else it wouldn't have been swimming upriver in the first place. This is a very deep-diving species that is never found (under normal circumstances) in water of less than 100 fathoms. The fact that at least 3 of this species has been sighted in and around the UK in the past couple of days tells me something's seriously wrong somewhere. More than one press report has speculated that possible acoustic (sonar, seismic testing) causes could be in play.

deborah4 · Jan 22, 2006

Katy Penland said:
I went over there to see what was being said since I have a long-time interest in whale conservation, and I couldn't bring myself to participate. I think Mick's right, that Conan person is just a pot-stirrer who's using some of the silliest reactionary lingo I've heard in years.

The Ex Beeb forum has a thread on the subject as well.

I'm curious, though, why anyone would seriously think the rescuers caused the whale's death? That animal was in dire straits before the rescue was launched else it wouldn't have been swimming upriver in the first place. This is a very deep-diving species that is never found (under normal circumstances) in water of less than 100 fathoms. The fact that at least 3 of this species has been sighted in and around the UK in the past couple of days tells me something's seriously wrong somewhere. More than one press report has speculated that possible acoustic (sonar, seismic testing) causes could be in play.

Thanks for this post Katy: My real consolation (unfounded by any 'expert' knowledge of course!) was that this poor animal was doomed already before any rescue attempts were even made and you have confirmed this really. I felt too that something be seriously wrong for the whale to have been 'so off course' in the first place. With all the scientific knowledge available on the sonar navigation of whales and their social reliance on each other through this communication, and their ultimate death that seems to be due to 'swimming blind', I do wonder why this plays such a low priority in conservation debates. I also wonder whether, shining spotlights on this whale and the plethora of 'traffic' on the Thames only increased the distress and confusion in this instance however.

A very sad but cautionary tale.

Stevie babe · Jan 22, 2006

The "saving" debate could go on a bit, and I have to say the poor thing's survival was in doubt as soon as it got into the Thames However, the best thing that can come out of this sad event is that experts were airing, live on TV, the problems cetaceans suffer at the hands of humans. Nowhere in the seas do cetaceans have any safety from human activity and that all their environmental issues were discussed publically, I believe, worldwide. Hopefully no politician can ignore their plight now. I hope that the inertia that the "Thames whale" created yesterday can be built upon and pressure put upon governments to actually do something to stop needless deaths due to fishing activities, slaughter in the name of science, naval sonar(who is going to mess with the US navy anyway?????????) and last but not least, is there only one sanctuary (unpoliced - except by NGO's) ? Cetaceans have had the best publicity possible. now its up to the likes of us to maintain that momentum.
Steve

Big Phil · Jan 22, 2006

Katy Penland said:
More than one press report has speculated that possible acoustic (sonar, seismic testing) causes could be in play.

Or just a group of animals that got stuck in the Noth Sea?. The Times says that the species occurred in the Thames in 1899, which rather predates sonar and seismic testing.

London Birder · Jan 22, 2006

what a fabulous animal ... the biggest London 'twitch' I've ever seen ... sadly a Harbour Porpoise was found dead on the foreshore a little distance away ... sure makes my London mammal list look odd

Whale spotted in central London (1 Viewer)

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