Thames Whale: People told to 'keep away from the mammal' amid scramble to rescue sea creature

Animal may be in danger, experts say

Reports a whale has been spotted in the River Thames are being investigated by the RSPCA, the charity has said.

The spotting would be the first time that one of the whales has been seen on UK coasts for years.

But the animal could be in danger and experts have asked that the public keep their distance until the safety of the whale can be confirmed.

"We're getting an officer down there to investigate whether it is a Beluga whale," a spokeswoman for the organisation told The Independent.

The whale was spotted east of London towards Kent and Essex, according to Dave Andrews, who shared footage of the whale splashing in the river. He said that the animal had not been moving around much, and that it appeared to be feeding.

"For anyone twitching the beluga, it's been feeding around the barges for the last hour and hasn't moved more than 200 metres in either direction," he wrote on Twitter. "Still present."

But experts warned that the whale should be left alone as much as possible, to ensure its safety.

"Probably not good that this beluga is in the Thames," said Sarah Dolman from Whale and Dolphin Conservation. "Please give the whale space!"

Getting too close to the whale could cause it to become distressed, which could put it in danger.

"One thing we’re trying to stress is that members of the public keen to catch a glimpse of the whale should do so in a respectful manner," said Lucy Babey, head of science and conservation at whale organisation Orca. "Keep away from the mammal and avoid causing any distress."

Beluga whales can be as big as 20 metres long. They are usually found in the Arctic Ocean, but as winter arrives and the sea freezes often head south in large groups.

They can be identified from their all-white appearance as well as the lack of a dorsal fin.

It's not clear why a beluga would have gone all the way up the Thames, said Babey.

“It could have followed a food source. It could have become disorientated or It could have been motivated by a disturbance.

“Won’t know for sure why it’s here unless we examine its carcass, which obviously we don’t want to do.

“British Divers Marine Life Rescue will be on the look-out and prepared to shepherd it back out to see if need be.”

In 2006, a young, 18ft bottlenose whale swam up the Thames and began a flurry of speculation as people watched to see whether experts could save it. She was chased up the river by hundreds of people who hoped she could be saved.

But she could not be saved and died as rescuers tried to lift her out of the river.

It was the first time such a whale had been seen in the river since 1913.