Whale Swims Up Thames
Updated: 13:46, Friday January 20, 2006
Crowds are gathering in central London to watch a whale which is swimming along the River Thames.
The northern bottle-nosed whale has been seen gliding past Parliament by hundreds of sightseers.
It is the first time this type of animal has been seen in the Thames since records began in 1913.
The Sky News helicopter is beaming live images of the whale as it swims up the river against the tide.
There have also been reports of a sighting of a second whale in Southend.
Eyewitness Tom Howard-Vyne said: "I saw it blow, it was a spout of water which sparkled in the air.
"It was on this side of Westminster Bridge and 10 minutes ago it was near the House of Commons.
"I think it's being looked after by a lifeboat to make sure it doesn't get disturbed by the shipping in the river. It was an amazing sight."
Lea Garcia, from the Royal Society For Protection of Animals, told Sky News: "They need to get it back out to sea obviously."
"Hopefully it will find its own way back out. You need to find a way to do it without causing it distress."
A Thames Water spokesman told Sky News the water quality of the Thames had improved greatly in recent years.
"One of the key reasons why water bills have risen in recent years is to pay for massive improvements in sewage treatment works," he said.
Northern bottle-nosed whales are normally seen in the north Atlantic off Norway and the Barents Sea and off northern Britain and Ireland in the summer.
They have a bulbous forehead and look like a very large bottle-nosed dolphin.
The species can grow to 10 metres in length and is described by experts as "inquisitive".
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