Hopes fade for minke whale stuck in River Thames near London

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By MIKE FULLER

LONDON (AP) — Hopes faded Monday for a young minke whale who became trapped in the River Thames near London, authorities said.

Rescuers trying to recapture the whale said that by 5 p.m. (1600 GMT; 12 p.m. EDT) its condition had deteriorated rapidly and it would soon be stranded by the dropping tide near Teddington in southwest London.

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

The BDMLR said the injured and drained calf would struggle to swim even if it managed to get back into deeper water.



Lifeboat workers attempt to assist a stranded young Minke whale on the River Thames near Teddington Lock, in London, Monday, May 10, 2021. A Port of London Authority spokesperson said a whale had never been seen this far up the Thames before, 95 miles from its mouth. The whale had been freed on Sunday after it became stuck at Richmond lock but has remained in the Thames.(AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)


Read more: https://apnews.com/article/london-europe-whales-oddities-environment-and-nature-d92681a14678682aaf0df1cdf5cdfc10

[turbinetree]

1. This is really turning into a sad story

And then there is a Grey Whale swimming around in the Mediterranean Sea....

https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/lost-mediterranean-starving-grey-whale-must-find-his-way-home-soon-2021-05-07/

You think that maybe the Arctic ice is melting

[Warpy]

4. Even if they'd managed to sling it and tow it out to sea

there is no indication that its mother is anywhere near. This looks like a little one, born over the winter, and would probably need to nurse a couple more months before starting to catch and eat solid food.

It's always sad to see a little one go, but euthanasia is better than starvation. They're too big to make good pets.

[Raine]

2. So sad 🐋 😢

I'm sure global warming had plenty to do with this

[IcyPeas]

3. oh no. I thought he had been freed yesterday.

"The whale had been freed on Sunday after it became stuck at Richmond lock but has remained in the Thames"

[muriel_volestrangler]

5. Yeah, when free, it swam 3 miles further upstream - Teddington is the end of the tidal section

with a lock - it literally wouldn't have been able to swim up any further. Why it had an instinct to go upstream, I don't know.

[muriel_volestrangler]

6. They've euthanized it

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-57056008

[IcyPeas]

7. oh no

[rpannier]

8. Very sad to see it came to that