# Whale spotted in central London! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 20, 2006, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whale-spotted-in-central-london/340823 "2006-01-20T15:12:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2006, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whale-spotted-in-central-london/340823/1 "2006-01-20T15:12:53Z")
[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4631396.stm](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4631396.stm) I hope it ends well for the whale. ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2006, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whale-spotted-in-central-london/340823/2 "2006-01-20T15:14:43Z")
I know the Thames is tidal, but isn’t it fairly shallow as well? Poor whale. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2006, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whale-spotted-in-central-london/340823/3 "2006-01-20T15:19:43Z")
It’s pretty deep in London; doesn’t get shallow (at least not too shallow for this relatively small whale) until you get way past the tidal bits, maybe up past Reading or Abingdon somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2006, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whale-spotted-in-central-london/340823/4 "2006-01-20T15:32:38Z")
I hope it gets as far up as Oxford. I fancy a swim. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2006, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whale-spotted-in-central-london/340823/5 "2006-01-20T15:36:00Z")
Just imagine how big the chips will have to be! ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2006, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whale-spotted-in-central-london/340823/6 "2006-01-20T15:38:37Z")
I am tracking this on BBC World. For the first few reports, the news-reader obviously was winging it, and not too well either. Now they have some scripts to read and are talking about rescuing the animal. I presume this is a Good Thing as the river is not as gruesome with pollution as it once was. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2006, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whale-spotted-in-central-london/340823/7 "2006-01-20T15:41:23Z")
Indeed; this is probably just something that used to happen more often, maybe before the industrial revolution; The Thames is actually now quite a clean river; salmon have returned. ---
**Author:** ![Girl\_Next\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@Girl\_Next\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Girl_Next_Door)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2006, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whale-spotted-in-central-london/340823/8 "2006-01-20T15:44:37Z")
OK, I have a dumb question: Is the Thames comprised of salt-water? Is there such thing as a salt-water river? Or did this whale swim from a salt-water environment into a fresh water one. If THAT is the case…salt-water to fresh…how do they survive? Any ichthyologists in the house? ---
**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2006, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whale-spotted-in-central-london/340823/9 "2006-01-20T15:48:46Z")
> [@Paul in Saudi](#): > > I presume this is a Good Thing as the river is not as gruesome with pollution as it once was. Short of building an oil refinery actually in the water, I don’t think it could have got _more_ polluted. 😛 I think this is the first step in the world takeover campaign of the whales. One thing is for certain: there is no stopping them: the cetaceans will soon be here. I, for one, welcome our new cetacean overlords. I’d like to remind them that as a trusted inhabitant of London, I can be helpful in rounding up others to toil in their underwater hoop mines. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2006, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whale-spotted-in-central-london/340823/10 "2006-01-20T15:52:06Z")
We were speculating about the salt water thing here chez jjimm. The Thames is definitely tidal, right up to London, but I wouldn’t know how salty the water is by the time it gets there. Not sure, but I can’t see why desalinated water would be a problem for a short while for a mammal. From the aerial shots, there seemed to be a large amount of blood pouring from the whale when it tried to beach at Battersea. Some kind-hearted passer-by waded in up to his waist to try to scare it off the sandbank (it’s not warm here at all). At least one more whale has been spotted at Southend, near the mouth of the river, and other reports are talking about a pod. ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2006, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whale-spotted-in-central-london/340823/11 "2006-01-20T16:00:00Z")
OK. I have been on the freaking Thames (and it was damned cold, let me tell you)–I took a “pleasure” (quotes there for a reason) cruise up to Hampton Court on an October afternoon several years ago. This is not an idle river–this is a busy place with ships and boats and all manner of traffic. A pod? A freaking pod of whales? :eek: Where are they to go? There is no room for them. Is any attempt being made to-I dunno-turn them around? And what is all that traffic doing in the meantime? The Thames is not all that big a river (ok, it is for UK); it narrows considerably outside of London (IMS)–I don’t see this ending well. Like those whales on Cape Cod… IMS, which is always iffy with me, the water becomes brackish but stays that way for quite a distance inland. I would worry more about the volume of water and the riverbed. Haven’t seen or heard word one about this here. I’ll go look for something. ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2006, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whale-spotted-in-central-london/340823/12 "2006-01-20T16:04:45Z")
Here is Reuter’s latest. [http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2006-01-20T154239Z\_01\_L20536170\_RTRUKOC\_0\_UK-BRITAIN-WHALE.xml](http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2006-01-20T154239Z_01_L20536170_RTRUKOC_0_UK-BRITAIN-WHALE.xml) Kudos to those people who are jumping in and trying to help. this is sad, though. Low tide is coming quickly. hope I coded that correctly ---
**Author:** ![light\_strand](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a6a055/32.png) [@light\_strand](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/light_strand)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2006, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whale-spotted-in-central-london/340823/13 "2006-01-20T16:11:15Z")
I’m watching live footage on the BBC web site, but I don’t have audio, so I have no idea what the heck they’re doing right now. Are they trying to herd it down the river? The Thames river estuary is brackish. However, as far inland as London the water should be only very mildly brackish. Whales are ok in fresh water for a short time, (until the salt in their tissues diffuses). ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2006, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whale-spotted-in-central-london/340823/14 "2006-01-20T16:17:52Z")
Maybe he is making a delivery of a clown fish. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2006, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whale-spotted-in-central-london/340823/15 "2006-01-20T16:47:26Z")
I can’t understand why they haven’t got a flotilla of small boats together to span the river and drive it back. That’s what I would do if I were “them”. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2006, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whale-spotted-in-central-london/340823/16 "2006-01-20T16:48:57Z")
> [@Shirley Ujest](#): > > Maybe he is making a delivery of a clown fish. Maybe he’s trying to find Waterloo - to see how heavy he is. It is, after all, a whale-weigh station. Stop me before I do it again. ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2006, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whale-spotted-in-central-london/340823/17 "2006-01-20T16:52:48Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > Maybe he’s trying to find Waterloo - to see how heavy he is. > > It is, after all, a whale-weigh station. > Stop me before I do it again. Groan…someone restrain him, stat! 😉 I think the flotilla idea is a good one–any reason they’re not doing so? (maybe they don’t have a flotilla to hand?) ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2006, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whale-spotted-in-central-london/340823/18 "2006-01-20T17:06:01Z")
> [@Revenant Threshold](#): > > I think this is the first step in the world takeover campaign of the whales. One thing is for certain: there is no stopping them: the cetaceans will soon be here. I, for one, welcome our new cetacean overlords. I’d like to remind them that as a trusted inhabitant of London, I can be helpful in rounding up others to toil in their underwater hoop mines. Takeover? _Takeover_?? 'Tis not a takeover, but rather a liberation! As fellow mammals, the whales have graciously and selflessly volunteered–at great risk to themselves, mind–to spearpoint the return of us land-dwelling mammals to the welcoming arms of Mother Ocean. And don’t say the Government was unaware of this, either. They left the Thames Barrier open, didn’t they? And the hoop mines are a vile piece of disinformation spread by unfortunate land-based delusionaries. There is no slavery under the ocean. ---
**Author:** ![nd\_n8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/439d5e/32.png) [@nd\_n8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nd_n8)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2006, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whale-spotted-in-central-london/340823/19 "2006-01-20T17:13:32Z")
Mmmmm, a nice crispy flotilla sounds good right now, extra beef and sour cream, hold the beans. Yummy :Looks around: "What? 😕 " ---
**Author:** ![Girl\_Next\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@Girl\_Next\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Girl_Next_Door)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2006, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whale-spotted-in-central-london/340823/20 "2006-01-20T17:37:07Z")
> [@Shirley Ujest](#): > > Maybe he is making a delivery of a clown fish. 😃 Excuse me, officer, I think I can be of some assistance here. You see, I speak whale. [Leans down to water level.] Hey you! Turn around! You’re going the wrong way! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whale-spotted-in-central-london/340823.md?page=2)