Thames Dolphin

Date : 23/01/2006

Unfortuante Events that lead to the death of Wally - a Northen Bottlenose Whale .

An attempt to save a whale stranded in the River Thames failed on Saturday. So what will happen to its carcass now?

Usually found in the North Atlantic one bottle-nosed whale ended up in the Thames this weekend and became worldwide news, with thousands of people flocking to the river to see it.

Whales have been spotted in the estuary but never as far upstream as central London. It is the first time this type of whale has been seen in the Thames since records began in 1913.

A rescue operation was launched to try to save it but ended in tragedy on Saturday night when the whale died after being lifted onto a barge trying to take it back out to sea. So what happens now?

Marine biologists from the Zoological Society of London carried out a post-mortem on the seven-ton female whale in a secluded riverfront yard in Gravesend, Kent, on Sunday.

Toxic

They took blubber samples and examined damage to the 15ft northern whale's skin. They also studied the echo response areas of the brain which could reveal if they were damaged, causing the animal to become distracted.

The samples are currently being examined in the laboratories of ZSL at Regent's Park. Preliminary result are due on Wednesday. When the tests are complete the whale's body will be released for disposal.

By a statute of 1324, whales - though mammals - are classed as "fishes royal" - belonging to the Queen. When one dies stranded on crown or public land an official called the Receiver of Wreck - employed by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency - usually decides what to do with it.

But as this whale died in the middle of the Thames on a barge belonging to the Port of London Authority (PLA), what to do with it is the responsibility of the authority.

A decision has been made to give the body to the Natural History Museum after all the tests are complete and it will clean the bones and preserve them for scientific research.

The museum has had the right to examine all whale carcasses that wash ashore in Britain since 1913.

In most cases when it comes to disposing of the flesh, if a carcass contains poisonous substances - from chemicals dumped in the sea - it will be classed as toxic waste and have to be incinerated. If untoxic, it will probably be disposed of in a landfill site.

As for the voluntary organisation that tried to rescue the whale, British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR), there is no onus on the government, the city, the Queen or anyone else to cover the cost of the rescue attempt, which reportedly includes more than £300 worth of parking fines.

Timeline of the events during the 20th/21st January

Time line - most recent first

20th/21st January

19.10hrs:

Just before 19.00hrs we received a report from the barge that the whale had taken a sudden down turn in condition. At 19.00hrs it was confirmed that the whale had suffered a series of convulsions and died.

8.10hrs:

The MV Crossness is now heading towards the Margate area. Condition of the whale permitting - and the opinion of the vet - a controlled release may be attempted, but the general opinion about the chances of the animals recovery are still pessimistic.

17.10hrs:

There has been a downturn in the whales condition due to being out of the water and therefore not supported in its natural environment. The whale is becoming compromised and Paul Jepson (vet) is now pessimistic that the animal is going to make a full recovery. Plans to transfer to an ocean-going vessel have been shelved and any release will now have to take place from the barge which limits the distance/depth we can reach. The longer it is on the barge the worse its condition will be so we have a trade off between time on board and how far we can take it out to sea.

15.50hrs:

The whale has been moved by crane on to vessel MV Crossness which is now moving East down the Thames. Examination of the whale is continuing while it's making its journey and the vet is said to be "cautiously optimistic" at this stage. No decision has been made on whether or when it will be released yet, or where it will be released, if appropriate.

13.09hrs:

Whale currently in pontoons at rescue site. BDMLR Medics being lead by Director Mark Stevens and Vet Paul Jepson. The animal is being examined by the vet and the results of those test will determine the next actions.

11.05hrs:

The whale is in the Albert Bridge area. BDMLR is considering a number of possible options and offers of assistance but we must stress that we will be lead by the veterinary opinion of the animal. Being realistic, if the animal is found to be in such a poor condition that the vet states it will not survive if released, it may have to be euthansed. However we hope that the animal will be reasonable condition and we have a number of plans being considered for transporting the animal to deep water outside the Thames Estuary. More news here as it comes in.

09.25hrs:

Just spoke to BDMLR Essex Coordinator Faye Archell on board Port Authority boat. They are observing the whale in the Albert Bridge area. If it gets into water shallow enough for them to stand in they will attempt to take control of the whale.

08.10hrs:

Possible sighting at Chelsea area. Not confirmed.

06.10hrs:

The whale is likely to be still in the central London area and we are standing by to assist if it strands. We cannot try and capture the animal while it is still free swimming as this is not only dangerous for ourselves but would be incredibly stressful to the whale. Suggestions of using sonar, whale song etc are being considered but may not work due to the geography of river and the poor condition of the whale. More here as it comes in.

04.00hrs:

Last confirmed sighting of whale as it struggled against the incoming tide. Has not stranded as the beaches/banks have now submerged.

01.35hrs:

The whale is close to Dolphin Square just upstream of Vauxhall Bridge. It is described as quiet.

21/06 01.10hrs:

Confirmed sighting back at Battersea area. Medic Jamie Henn is on site with a couple of other medics plus the rescue equipment. He confirms it stranded briefly before they could reach it and it then freed itself from the bank. The Port Authority launch confirms the river is only 2.5m deep at its deepest in this area.

23.45hrs:

Main BDMLR team now off to get some sleep. Port Authority monitoring area. Medics will be in the area again at first light tomorrow unless a confirmed sighting arises overnight. Equipment all still in area.

23.15hrs:

No confirmed sighting of the whale since 21.00hrs when a BBC cameraman had a confirmed sighting at Greenwich. BDMLR RIB and Port Authority boat unable to locate it. BDMLR RIB now out of water but local medics are continuing to monitor the river. The Port Authority boat carrying BDMLR Medics and equipment is returning to the Battersea area. Another boat is heading west from Dagenham to search for the whale.

21.00hrs:

Possible sighting of the whale at Greenwich, BDMLR team on RIB 'Amanda' in the area to check it out. More news here soon.

20.30hrs:

The BDMLR team is to stay on the river until at least 22.00hrs to try and locate the whale.

18.00hrs:

Update from BDMLR's RIB on the Thames. The whale was last seen heading upstream but has not been sighted for sometime. The team are trying to locate the animal again. Paul Jepson (vet from ZSL) has expressed his concerns that the whale is not swimming in a determined manner, has injuries to the top of its head and earlier showed signs of flexion when it briefly stranded.

16.00hrs:

Directors Geoff Hammock and Mark Stevens are shortly launching one of our RIBs on the Thames. Vet, Paul Jepson, is on the scene but obviously is unable to fully assess the whale while it is still free swimming.

Update - 10.35hrs:

Liz Sandeman of Marine Connection is on a Lifeboat and confirms the animal, possibly a Pilot whale, is under Waterloo Bridge. It appears in reasonable condition but its location is concerning.

09.00hrs:

Following several calls yesterday suggesting a 'whale' was travelling up the Thames towards central London, another report today at 8.30am suggests the 16-18ft animal was seen at Waterloo Bridge. Local volunteers are checking it out and liasing with the river Police, Port Authority and London Fire Brigade.

Donations

There are many ways you can help donate to this worthy cause. You can help by donating to BDMLR who co-ordinated the rescue attempt or donate to the fund to save the dolphins bones for research and display at the Natural History museum in London.

BDMLR

BDMLR estimates that in real terms the rescue attempt could potentially cost us approx £100,000. If you wish to help this small charity by making a donation please click on the following link http://www.bdmlr.org/pages/main.html.

The Sun Wally Fund

The sun has lunched a £10,000 appeal to save Wally the Whale’s bones for the nation. They have teamed up with experts and conservationists to help preserve the skeleton for crucial scientific research. Chemicals in the bones would reveal where the whale grew up, what it lived on and build a full picture of its life.

They also want to provide a lasting tribute to the whale that captivated the world by swimming up the Thames into central London so they have joined forces with Her Majesty’s Receiver of Wreck, who is responsible for dead whales in UK waters, and the Natural History Museum to save Wally’s bones from an anonymous grave.

The Sun is urging its generous readers to help meet the £10,000 bill with an appeal for cash.

HOW TO DONATE: CHEQUES made payable to The Sun Wally Fund — NGN Ltd can be sent to: The Sun Wally Appeal, News International Treasury Department, Fleet House, Cygnet Park, Hampton, Peterborough, PE7 8FD.

Source: BBC, Sun, BDMLR

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