VIDEO: Beluga whale spotted in the River Thames
Ultra-rare sighting of Arctic whale near Gravesend
The River Thames has welcomed an unexpected visitor in the form of a beluga whale.
Onlookers were astonished to see the white marine creature, more commonly associated like the Arctic waters around North America, Greenland and Iceland swimming alongside barges near Gravesend this morning.
Ecologist Dave Andrews was the first to raise the alarm, posting on Twitter about the highly unusual sighting.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
“Can’t believe I’m writing this,” he tweeted at around 10.30am this morning after spotting the marine creature in the water near Coalhouse Fort, Essex.
He then uploaded a video of the beluga surfacing and diving in the river, where it appeared to be diving for fish.
It has been three years since a beluga was seen in British waters, off the coast of Northumberland, the BBC reports. Through hunting and pollution, they are considered a near-threatened species.
Ecologist and whalewatcher Michael Hoit told the London Evening Standard that the animal may have sought shelter in the Thames estuary during recent stormy weather.
News of the surprise visitor has attracted nature-lovers to the banks of the river in the hope of catching a glimpse of the beluga.
Several news websites have even set up live feeds to update curious readers on the mammal’s every move.
However, the Essex Wildlife Trust warned onlookers to keep their distance.
“Please keep your distance and do not take to the water - let's give this amazing cetacean the best chance of making its way safely back out to sea,” the group said.
A spokeswoman for the British Divers Marine Life Rescue, which is tracking the whale, said it was “swimming strongly” and appeared in good health. The Natural History Museum and RSPCA are also monitoring the situation.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Today's political cartoons - November 23, 2024
Cartoons Saturday's cartoons - qualifications, tax cuts, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Long summer days in Iceland's highlands
The Week Recommends While many parts of this volcanic island are barren, there is a 'desolate beauty' to be found in every corner
By The Week UK Published
-
The Democrats: time for wholesale reform?
Talking Point In the 'wreckage' of the election, the party must decide how to rebuild
By The Week UK Published
-
Shell’s North Sea oil U-turn: ‘a first victory in a longer war’?
Speed Read Controversy after oil giant pulls out of proposed Cambo project
By The Week Staff Published
-
Fires, floods and storms: America’s ‘permanent emergency’ has begun
Speed Read This summer of climate horror feels like the ‘first, vertiginous 15 minutes of a disaster movie’, says The New York Times
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
Hot air and empty rhetoric: is the UK acting too slowly on climate change?
Speed Read ‘Every day, new evidence accumulates that humanity is on an unsustainable path’
By The Week Staff Published
-
Germany floods: what led to this ‘once-in-a-century’ disaster?
Speed Read Nearly 200 people died in Germany and Belgium; hundreds are still unaccounted for
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
Penguin colony at risk as Somerset-sized iceberg bears down on British overseas territory
Speed Read Several species face starvation if the icy giant blocks access to feeding grounds
By Aaron Drapkin Published
-
‘Full of hot air’: climate experts exposed as academia’s most frequent flyers
Speed Read Study results trigger calls for environmentalists to ‘look in the mirror’
By Chas Newkey-Burden Last updated
-
Mystery of millions of migrating birds dropping dead from US skies
Speed Read Some experts believe the West Coast wildfires may be to blame for ‘unprecedented’ mass bird deaths in New Mexico
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
Americans warned not to plant mystery seeds being sent to homes nationwide from China
Speed Read Officials say the unsolicited packages have been mailed to residents in at least 27 US states
By Joe Evans Published