Young Whale Trapped in the London River

In recent news, a young whale has been found trapped in the London River. The whale who is struggling in this unfamiliar environment has begun to deteriorate in condition. As it was seen suffering, it was later put to sleep by veterinary experts. 

To prevent the whale from slipping back into the river, Medics used inflatable pontoons. These inflatable pontoons allowed the veterinary team to further help the animal terminate its suffering. The whale was approximately 10 to 13 feet long and was found far from its natural habitat. Senior Allison Brown stated, “Being far from its natural habitat must have left this whale feeling so lost, with a lack of resources needed for survival.”

A postmortem examination was later conducted to establish how the whale came to be in such a poor condition and later lost in the river.  This species of whales only lives in the northern North Sea, so it is very unfamiliar in this environment. This whale is young and has been put through an obstacle that left survival nearly impossible. Senior Lizzie Kennedy stated that “Being young, would leave the whale in need of guidance from its mother.” 

Minke whales can grow to weigh up to 20,000 pounds and usually live for about 50 years. Senior Allie Kennedy stated, “The fact that these whales are so huge and were in an area fit for small birds proves the reason why this left the whale deteriorating.” No whale besides this whale has ever swum that far up west in recent years. At the beginning of this discovery, many spectators initially thought that the whale was a seal. When this spectator got closer they saw a fin and later realized it was a whale. As the whale began to roll on its side, this was the first realization that the whale was injured. The whale was thus found in an area that one would normally only see ducks and swans.