A dolphin has been spotted swimming in the Thames near Putney Bridge, with experts warning that it should not be this far upriver.
The marine animal delighted rowers and observers at the bankside on Thursday and Friday by repeatedly surfacing by the rowing sheds on Thames Path and swimming up and down the length of the river between Wandsworth Park to Hammersmith Bridge.
Aside from the pleasure of seeing a wild dolphin in the Thames, however, the animal may be in trouble. Observers noted that it appeared to be struggling against the tide – which can be particular strong on the tidal river – and the British Divers Marine Life Rescue has asked people to steer clear of the mammal to prevent disorientating it further.
Putney is 30 miles from the mouth of the Thames and the dolphin appears to have become separated from the rest of its pod. “It’s too far really for a dolphin to be up the river, said operations director at the charity, Julia Cable.
But it won’t be possible to rescue the dolphin while still in the river unless it gets stranded. “There’s no way we can actually physically move it unless it were to strand,” she Cable. “All we can do is monitor it, check its behaviour and do our best to ensure everybody out on the river is aware that the dolphin is there and that they keep away from it.”
A large amount of noise is likely to disorient the dolphin all the more, making it harder for it to find its way back out to open sea.
