Two pilot whales dead after mass stranding
Rescuers tried to refloat the pod, but difficult terrain and fading light left several whales stranded and prompted post-mortem examinations.
- On Saturday, British Divers Marine Life Rescue , HM Coastguard, and the Port of London Authority herded a pod of around 25 pilot whales from Gravesend toward the North Sea in a six-hour operation covering 20 miles.
- Long-Finned pilot whales typically favor deeper Atlantic waters beyond the continental shelf, making their Thames Estuary entry highly unusual. Experts suggest a debilitated pod member caused the group to deviate from their natural range.
- Two whales died during the Thames incident: a three-metre female discovered near East Tilbury and a juvenile measuring over 4.5 metres found on Canvey Island on Sunday.
- Separately, BDMLR teams responded to a different pod stranded on Coquet Island, Northumberland, on Monday. Rescuers confirmed two deaths among six whales found near rocky ledges, ruling out this as the Thames pod.
- Officials urge the public not to approach stranded marine mammals, as they may carry harmful bacteria. Anyone spotting distressed animals should call 999 and ask for the Coastguard, while specialists plan post-mortem examinations.
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PressNewsAgencyTwo pilot whales die after distressed pod of 40 becomes stranded off Northumberland coast
A pod of roughly 40 pilot whales was witnessed in distress close to the shoreline at Amble, off the Northumberland coast, on Sunday afternoon, prompting a major rescue operation led by British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR).The charity confirmed that two of the whales have sadly since died after becoming stranded.BDMLR received the initial alert at 3pm on Sunday, reporting that the animals were displaying agitated behaviour characteristic of …
Two pilot whales found dead after a pod of 25 spotted in the...
Two whales have died after a pod was spotted in the Thames Estuary. British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) said it was called after reports that 25 long-finned pilot whales were seen close to Coalhouse Fort at East Tilbury and at Tilbury in Essex on Thursday. One whale, a female, was found dead on Saturday and another was found on Sunday morning. Their presence in the Thames and the southern North Sea was uncommon, said a BDMLR spokesperson. …
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